https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning.atomMealPlanMagic - Articles & Tips2019-01-01T00:00:00-05:00MealPlanMagichttps://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/which-somatotype-body-type-are-you-characteristics-and-images-for-men-and-women2019-01-01T00:00:00-05:002019-01-08T15:17:56-05:00Which Somatotype Body Type Are You? Characteristics and Images for Men and WomenKaryl Trejo
Body type is determined by physique characteristics and linked to metabolic differences between individuals. It can help explain why some people have a fast metabolic rate and a high carbohydrate tolerance, while others are naturally bigger boned and store fat more easily. By accounting for these metrics in the creation of a customized meal plan, you are able to reach your body goals more quickly, with less frustration, and in a more healthy manner. Every body is unique and reacts differently to certain foods and macro-nutrient ratios. If you've been struggling to see results after following a diet plan or eating style, it's very possible that your intake and food types may not be in line with what your body is genetically programmed to require to achieve a certain body goal. Use the images above and the quick reference table below to determine your body type:

YOUR BODY IS UNIQUE, WHICH TYPE ARE YOU?

Every body is unique and reacts differently to certain foods and macro-nutrient ratios. If you've been struggling to see results after following a diet plan or eating style, it's very possible that your intake and food types may not be in line with what your body is genetically programmed to require to achieve a certain body goal. Use the images above and the quick reference table below to determine your body type:

Ectomorph

:: Naturally thin with skinny limbs and delicate frame. :: Light build with small joints and lean muscle mass. :: Shoulders tend to be thin with little width and chest tends to be flat. :: Find it hard to gain weight and require more calories. :: Fast metabolism that burns up calories quickly.

> Recommended Workout: Short & intense focusing on big muscle groups.

Ecto-Mesomorph

:: Built tall and lean with more muscle mass than an Ecto but less than a Meso. :: Thin with a small delicate frame and bone structure. :: Medium shoulders with a flat and defined chest. :: Find it hard to gain weight and require more calories. :: Relatively fast metabolism that burns up calories quickly.

WHY BODY TYPE MATTERS & THE BENEFIT OF CUSTOM MEAL PLANNING

If you eat less calories than you burn, you will most likely lose weight. But counting calories can only tell you so much; if you’re not careful and don’t eat the right calories, you’ll likely lose muscle too! Or, worse yet, starve yourself of key nutrients. To maintain, lose or even gain weight, many people rely on macros to make sure they’re eating correctly. For example, 100 calories of avocado (fat) is completely different than 100 calories of a doughnut (carbs).

Custom meal plans are more than simply knowing how many calories you need each meal and day. They also incorporate the macro-nutrient ratios of foods, which widely differ depending on eating style (ex. vegan, paleo, ketogenic, etc…), gender, body type, and goal (lose weight/ fat, maintain, gain weight/ muscle).

Smart Tip: Knowing your body type is the first step in making the most of your custom meal plan. Being cognizant of how your body stores fat and builds muscle can help guide you a leaner, fitter physique. Whether you're an ectomorph or a mesomorph, adding supplementation to your diet will help you reach your goals more quickly.

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Each one of these metrics will alter your macro-nutrient ratios. For example, body type is determined by physique characteristics and linked to metabolic differences between individuals. It can help explain why some people have a fast metabolic rate and a high carbohydrate tolerance, while others are naturally bigger boned and store fat more easily. By accounting for these metrics in the creation of a customized meal plan, you are able to reach your body goals more quickly, with less frustration, and in a more healthy manner.

GET A CUSTOM MEAL PLAN NOW

With a custom meal plan from MealPlanMagic, everything that makes your body unique is incorporated into a 4-week eating plan to help you reach your goals. Every meal plan is backed by research and crafted by a registered dietitian nutritionist to ensure accuracy and effectiveness. Your foods and macros will be specific to you and selected in accordance with your preferred eating style, body metrics, and goals. Let our team of experts design a plan that gets you results and saves you time!

Customized meal plans can be costly! That's why we made MealPlanMagic.

This is the best part: all of our custom meal plans are delivered to you in MealPlanMagic with a fully built our meal plan and food list so that as your goals, body, eating preferences, and macros change you can easily update your meal plan again and again. This means that your purchase of one custom meal plan can actually turn into weeks and weeks of customized eating without having to keep purchasing custom meal plans. Also, any meal plans you have purchased or have had created by a trainer or other source can be inputted into MealPlanMagic as well -- saving you money, time, and stretching your hard earned dollars.

Each custom meal plan built in MealPlanMagic gives you:

4-weeks of customized meal plans

4-weeks of Automated Grocery Lists by Date Range

Ability to Account for Food Already in Your Kitchen

4-weeks of Meal Prep Summaries by Date Range to Help You Cook Faster

Food Lists customized for your goals

You can use the Food Lists to find substitutes for your meal plan and also keep creating additional iterations of your customized meal plan. This gives you the power to stay on track past 4 weeks and manage the entire process. Of course, we are always here to help!

If this is your first time meal planning, you may have questions about where to begin. Don't worry; we've got you covered!

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/the-ultimate-guide-to-meal-preparation2018-05-07T09:42:00-04:002018-05-07T13:44:44-04:00The Ultimate Guide to Meal Prep Storage and How to Keep Your Meals FreshKaryl TrejoFirst things first: all of your preps need to go into the refrigerator within two hours -- and just one hour if your room temperature is 90 F or higher -- of coming out of the oven. Letting them sit out any longer puts you at higher risk of food poisoning. Food-borne illness causing bacteria can proliferate so quickly that they actually double every twenty minutes! Your delicious and lovingly prepared preps can become little toxin bombs in very little time, so please please please be careful to put it into the fridge quickly.

Introduction

There's nothing more exciting than finishing a long day's worth of work to come home, open the refrigerator, and discover that thanks to planning ahead, you don't have to make dinner tonight. Conversely, there's nothing more disappointing than repeating that same scenario and discovering that you have a dish of bland chicken, unseasoned plain rice, and soggy broccoli to endure.

Meal planning can be an incredible gift to yourself – nobody wants to have to slave over the hot stove after working all day, but if done incorrectly, it can quickly backfire and lead to self-sabotage. By planning ahead, you can save yourself a lot of stress and time and make healthy decision making an easy choice.

Swinging through the drive through is both costly and incredibly detrimental to your health – it has been demonstrated time and again to lead to obesity and poor health. Preparing your food at home can help you manage both your bank account and your waistline. Whether your objective is to drop those last ten pounds, tighten up your body for an upcoming vacation, or finally dip back into a healthy BMI range, meal planning can help you achieve those goals.

While the drive-through may seem to promise you a plethora of easy meals, it's actually deceptive in its variety: do you want a side of greasy, deep-fried starch next to your mystery-meat meal on a questionable bun? Cooking at home gives you a bounty of meal choices that you can't find at any fast food restaurant, making your taste buds, your wallet, and your health sing for joy.

Use a Food Scale for Accuracy

Your biggest secret weapon in the kitchen may very well be your food scale. If you know how much something weighs, you can ultimately determine how many calories are in it. For foods that have no nutritional label (i.e., real food), all you need to do is log onto the USDA Food Composition Database to determine how many calories it contains. Cross reference the number on the scale to the number on the database and you have your answer. For instance, an apple has 52 per 100 grams, and if you have a 150 gram apple, you can divide the weight by calories per 100 grams and then multiply it by the weight of your apple to determine that your apple has 78 calories in it.

Avoiding pre-packaged food is difficult; inevitably, some processed foods are going to slip into your shopping cart. As long as your diet is mostly unprocessed, the occasional packaged food isn't going to kill you. If you check the back of the package, the food label will tell you how many calories are in it per gram. Simply divide the calories by the weight, then multiply it by how many grams showed up on the digital readout when you weighed it on your food scale.

[Source: NIH.gov ]

While the United States uses imperial measures (ounces and pounds), using metric is much simpler and more accurate when using a food scale. For starters, you'll get a tighter measurement and won't have to worry about rounding off. Secondly, food labels are typically in grams anyway. It'll quickly become second nature to learn metric measurements, but for now, know that there are 28 grams in an ounce and 448 grams per pound.

As for what food scale is the best, any simple one will do, but a digital scale is not only affordable, it's more accurate.

The first time you weigh something may be very eye-opening. Of course there are ways to eyeball portions, but you'd be surprised how off your measuring tools can be. It's also easier to lie to yourself when you're not using a food scale: of course that heaping scoop of peanut butter is just a tablespoon, right? You may be able to fool your measuring spoon, but your food scale is going to set you straight and tell you that your so-called tablespoon of delicious peanut-buttery goodness is actually edging closer to two tablespoons (32g) versus the one tablespoon (16g) that you had secretly hoped it would be. That's a whopping 100 calorie difference. Added up over the day, how many hidden calories are sneaking into your diet and onto your waistline?

Don't forget about the tare feature on your scale. It makes measuring a cinch! Instead of having to scoop food out of one dish and onto another to weigh it, you can press the "tare" button on your scale to zero it out. That way, it "forgets" the weight of your dish and allows for more accurate measuring. For instance, if you place a bowl on your scale and you want to measure out 4 ounces (112g) of chicken, you don't want to have to do the math of both the weight of the chicken plus your bowl.

Once you place your bowl on the scale, hit "tare" and the weight is suddenly zero again. Then you can place your chicken on the bowl and get the most accurate weight without having to think to yourself, "Hm, okay, this bowl is 237 grams and with this chicken I now have 356 grams and therefore I have...[cue frantic mental math here] – 119 grams of...wait...dang it, where's my calculator?" Nope. Hit tare, and boom: you now know you have 119 grams of chicken on your dish. Easy peasy, right?

Another trick of the tare button is to press it when you place an entire container of something that you're trying to remove a portion from without dirtying an extra dish. Instead of placing a bowl on the scale, then a spoon, then trying to perfectly scoop out two tablespoons of hummus, place the entire tub of hummus on the scale, tare it out, then take out the portion you want from it. Your scale will read the missing portion as an integer, telling you exactly how much you took. For instance, if you wanted two ounces of hummus to eat with your crudites, take out exactly how much you wanted until the scale reads "-56g". It's incredibly simple and makes any estimations and guesswork a thing of the past.

Save Yourself from the Misery of Food Poisoning

Even the most perfectly packaged pickings will eventually spoil. Knowing how long they will last in your refrigerator and freezer can save you from a lot of heartache and, um, stomachache. Violent, explosive...stomachache.

All joking aside, food poisoning is something you absolutely want to avoid. Essentially any food can become contaminated with illness-causing bacteria, including fresh fruits and vegetables; E. coli and salmonella aren't just limited to raw meat. Symptoms of food poisoning will hit you pretty hard and pretty quickly, typically within 2-6 hours after eating the contaminated food, and include:

Abdominal cramps

Diarrhea

Fever

Chills

Nausea

Vomiting

Dehydration

Fortunately, symptoms typically blow over within 48 hours and treatment is typically lots of fluids and easy to eat foods. However, avoiding contracting it in the first place would be ideal. How can you avoid coming down with food poisoning?

By storing you prepped foods properly, you can avoid any unwanted gastric upset. The average person doesn't seem to understand proper food handling, so if this information is all brand new to you, don't sweat it too much; you're in good company. By learning how to properly store and keep meal preps fresh, you're taking steps to better protect your health and the health of your family.

Know the Difference Between Food Spoilage and Food Pathogeneis

Sometimes food can go bad without any sign of it having gone over. This is known as "food pathogenesis" and occurs most often when food is left out at temperatures above 40F for over two hours. Harmful bacteria will start to proliferate and the food will be no longer safe to consume – but you'll have no idea because it has no off odors or textures. At the surface, it looks fine.

That's why it's so crucial to store your foods properly. Even if you stuck your prep in the refrigerator, if you unearth it a week later and it seems like it passes the smell test, throw it away. It's not worth risking your health for some iffy chicken breast.

Conversely, sometimes food can go bad – complete with a yucky, slimy texture and a flatulent ("farty" to us laymen), sulfuric stench – but it won't necessarily make you sick. That's "food spoilage" and is an entirely different animal. Regardless, don't eat food that has spoiled. (We don't actually have to tell you that, though, right? You know better than that? Good.) Some molds can contain mycotoxins -- the byproduct of bacterial growth -- which can be deadly to humans and pets.

Keep Food Safe in the Fridge

First things first: all of your preps need to go into the refrigerator within two hours -- and just one hour if your room temperature is 90 F or higher -- of coming out of the oven. Letting them sit out any longer puts you at higher risk of food poisoning. Food-borne illness causing bacteria can proliferate so quickly that they actually double every twenty minutes! Your delicious and lovingly prepared preps can become little toxin bombs in very little time, so please please please be careful to put it into the fridge quickly.

Your refrigerator needs to be set to 40 Fahrenheit or lower to properly store your food safely and keep your meal preps fresh. Make sure you have plenty of room in your fridge to let air circulate properly; over packing it can actually allow your food to get to dangerous temperatures and spoil quicker. Also, make sure you thoroughly cover all of your preps to keep them fresher longer. Oxygen is actually a catalyst for promoting food spoilage.

Cooked chicken, beef, and fish are typically safe for 3-4 days. Hard-boiled eggs can be stored up to one week. Deli salads (such as tuna or egg) can be kept in your refrigerator for 3-5 days. Deli meat can also be kept safely for 3-4 days. As for your prepped grains, pasta and rice can also be kept for 3-4 days in your refrigerator. Casserole, soups, and stews are subject to the same limitations; only keep them for up to five days.

[Source: FDA.gov]

Fresh fruits and vegetables can vary. Avoid rinsing and cutting them until you're ready to use them, but expect them to last around 3-4 days once you do. And obviously do not prep them on the same cutting board where you prepped your meat – that's a nasty case of food poisoning waiting to happen.

When in doubt, use your best judgment, but just be sure to err on the side of caution. Humans actually have an innate aversion to food spoilage, and food that has gone over actually triggers an adverse visceral response in people. So if you're uncertain if the food is safe or not, give it a good whiff – your nose won't steer you wrong. If you feel as though something is amiss, throw it out.

Does Freezing Your Meal Prep Really Work?

If your goal is to have as many meals squirreled away for the future, then freezing your meal preps is may be something that interests you. Be careful to freeze and store them properly to keep meal preps fresh and avoid losing that delicious flavor you worked so hard to attain when you initially made the meal. Proper storage of your meal preps in the freezer can also prevent food poisoning, so take extra caution when portioning your leftovers away in the freezer.

The best way to freeze your meal preps to ensure they're palatable when you finally get around to eating them is entirely dependent on your storage method. You always want to make sure to use high-quality meal prep containers. Avoid plastic ones; glass is always superior. Make sure you get an air-tight seal before placing in the freezer to prevent freezer burn and spoilage.

If you're going to store your preps in the freezer, make sure you bring them down in temperature rapidly. That helps twofold: you're less likely to get freezer burn and you'll be more likely to prevent spoilage. By using glass meal prep containers, you'll be able to divvy up your preps into smaller compartments, allowing them to freeze more evenly, making reheating them a cinch while retaining optimal flavor and nutrients.

Use the Freezer to Store Your Preps Long Term

Most meal preppers are planning ahead for the next few days, which makes the recommended best-by dates on most foods fairly standardized. However, if you're wanting to get a head start on your cooking for the future, you may want to cook in large batches and stick your leftovers in the freezer for retrieval at a later date.

If that's your plan, great! Storing your preps in the freezer is a fantastic way to keep meal preps fresh and prevent them from spoiling, especially if you're not going to eat them right away.

Most foods can keep safely in your freezer for months, but some foods should never go into the freezer. For instance, deli salads? Yuck. Don't do it. The texture and taste would become overly compromised, and it's not like you're going to heat them up to eat them, anyway. Hard-boiled eggs should also be spared the freezer treatment. However, if you need to set aside large batches of cooked poultry or beef, feel free to stick them in the freezer for up to six months to help keep meal preps fresh. The same goes for cut fruits and veggies; stick 'em in the freezer and pull them out up to six months later, if you feel so inclined.

A Comment on Freezer Burn:Freezer burn occurs when food isn't properly wrapped up before storing it in the freezer. When bits dry out (a process called “sublimation,” which is actually one of the steps of freeze-drying foods for long term storage) and become dehydrated and grey, their quality may diminish but they're not necessarily unsafe to eat. Cut off the freezer burned parts of your food and the rest should be fine to eat!

Know How to Properly Reheat Your Meal Preps

If you were smart and stocked up on glass meal prep containers, that's one less thing you'll have to worry about when reheating your meal preps. If you accidentally picked up plastic meal prep containers, don't sweat it. Just throw them out (check with your local recycling facilities first!) and start over with high quality glass meal prep containers.

Plastic meal prep containers, despite their low cost, are absolutely not advised to use when meal prepping. They have been shown to leach something called Bisphenol-A (BPA), a powerful endocrine disruptor, into your food. BPA has been shown to dramatically alter hormones by acting similarly to estrogen in the body, which can have lasting and devastating long term repercussions in your body such as cancer, reproductive damage, birth defects, and permanent hormonal damage in the testes, ovaries, and thyroid.

On the other hand, it's perfectly safe to reheat your meal preps in the microwave if you have glass containers. Just be cautious when taking them out – glass can get hot! If you prefer, you can transfer your meal preps to an oven-safe baking dish or reheat them on the stove top.

Regardless of how you choose to reheat them, though, be careful to avoid improperly bringing them back up to an enjoyable temperature. There are two recommended methods of thawing your meal preps. If you prefer, you can thaw frozen meal preps in your refrigerator overnight. It's not advised to thaw them on the counter, however; the risk of bacterial contamination is too high. The other option is using a cold-water bath to thaw them, but be mindful and monitor them closely to avoid letting them sit in tepid water for too long.

It's also advised to not use plastic wrap when reheating your prepped foods. When reheating your preps, be careful to spread all foods evenly in your meal prep containers to ensure even cooking. Stir them midway through to confirm that they reach the safe temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit throughout to kill off any bacteria that may be lurking in it. Leave the lid on, but allow it to vent out to avoid food-splosions; the moist heat from trapped steam actually helps kill any bacteria that may be remaining in your preps.

If you bit off more than you can chew, don't fret. Despite any old wives tales that say you can't re-freeze your pre-frozen meal preps, it's actually perfectly fine and safe to stick your leftover leftovers back into the freezer. (That was a mouthful, wasn't it? Whew!) Just be careful to heat them up all the way to 165F and store the leftovers carefully to ensure their quality doesn't decline in their second round in the freezer.

How to Keep Your Meal Preps Fresh the Longest During Storage

You cook at home because it's better for you and you're trying to do your body a favor by avoiding junky fast food that can be full of preservatives. Therefore, you're not about to start adding preservatives back into your food to keep them fresher longer...are you?

Some of the more common preservatives found in food can be highly dangerous to your health. For instance, research has shown that nitrates and nitrites are linked to stomach cancer. Benzoates can cause allergies and asthma, and sorbates have triggered contact dermatitis in some people. Why would you even consider using preservatives in your food, then?

Believe it or not, "preservative" doesn't have to be a four letter word. There are several all-natural preservatives you can add to your food to keep them fresh and tasty. Consider the following when storing your meal preps to help stave off bacterial and mold growth:

Honey: This natural preservative has been used since ancient times, when Egyptians used it to help prevent food spoilage and store food long-term (and, um, embalming bodies for mummification, but that's a story for another day).

Garlic: The antimicrobial properties of garlic have been well known for a long time, but recent research has shown that it can help ward offsalmonella and E. coli in chicken.

Lemon: A squeeze of lemon juice can stop the enzyme process that can cause produce from browning and spoiling, but the active terpenes in it has also been shown to prevent food spoilage, too.

Antioxidants: One major cause of food spoilage is oxidization, and what better to prevent it than an anti-oxidant? Some naturally occurring sources of antioxidants include green tea, wine, and of course, dark chocolate. Adding these items to your food may help ward off food spoilage and improve its flavor – a win-win!

Herbs: Certain herbs, like rosemary and thyme, have been shown to act as natural food preservatives. Add a sprinkle of these flavorful herbs to your food and enjoy the flavor of them longer!

Artificial preservatives can make you ill, but these all natural ones can help keep your meal preps fresher and help prevent spoilage. Plus, who's going to argue against adding something delicious like garlic or a squeeze of lemon to your food to brighten the flavor? If it keeps it from spoiling, it's just an added bonus at this point, right? Exactly!

How Long Does Prepped Foods Last?

One of the biggest questions that a first time meal prepper faces is wondering how long prepped foods last. After all, you don't want to dedicate hours of your Sunday painstakingly crafting a delicious cornucopia of variety to eat during the week only to pry up the lid on your meal prep container on Thursday or Friday and be greeted by a whiff of what can only be described as, "Yuck, what the heck, dude?!"

There's a long answer and a short answer to this pressing question. The short answer is, it varies. Cooked meat, chicken, and fish can last anywhere been 2-5 days. Fruit can last between 3 days to 3 weeks (or longer) and veggies? Up to 2 weeks.

Ready for the long answer? Thought you'd never ask! We wrote an entire guide to storing your meal preps.

Maximizing Nutrient Retention in Your Meal Preps

The microwave has a bad rep that it just can't seem to shake. Ever since it came out, it's been subjected to a barrage of accusations that are hell-bent on undermining its validity and safety. The fact is, microwaves are completely safe. They don't render foods contaminated with radiation (so please don't put spiders in there in the off-chance that you hope you can create the next Spiderman, thanks) and most of the dangers of using them come from burns from foods becoming super-heated while cooking.

In reality, microwaves may actually be better than conventional ovens at retaining nutrients in your meal preps. Because they cook quicker than conventional methods, the chances of retaining nutrients are that much higher. Plus, because typical stove-top methods require boiling your vegetables, much of the nutrients are lost in the water where the produce was cooked. In other words, don't fear the microwave. It's actually superior in many ways to your conventional stove and oven methods. Don't lose sleep over freezing your meal preps either; freezing them can actually help keep meal preps fresh and encourages nutrient retention. Just remember – never use plastics. BPA is leaked in extremely high amounts when heated in the microwave.

Another reassuring thing to consider when shopping for your meal preps is that frozen produce is not only more affordable, it's actually more likely to have more vitamins in it versus the fresh produce that you might be more inclined to reach for. Of course, if you picked a fresh tomato off the vine and ate it that same day, you would be enjoying the most amount of vitamins possible from it. The reality is, however, that between picking, shipping, waiting at the store, and sitting around in your fridge, it could be several weeks from the day the tomato was picked to actually being consumed by you. By then, it will have suffered fairly serious vitamin loss at this point.

On the other hand, produce that is picked for freezing is packaged shortly after it was taken from the vine. Frozen produce has several benefits over so-called fresh produce, including having a lower cost as well as higher nutrient retention. Even canned produce isn't entirely nutritionally void, though it perhaps has the least amount of remaining nutrients due to the high cooking temperatures they're subjected to.

What's the Takeaway?

The bottom line here is that you have goals; whether you're trying to build muscle, shed a few vanity pounds, or you're just trying to be better organized in the kitchen so you can feed yourself and your family more healthful, nutritious meals, you want to ensure that you're doing your very best and not skipping anything essential when reaching for those goals.

By arming yourself a comprehensive arsenal of facts, you're going to be more likely to succeed. Little slip ups here and there are all part of the learning curve, but as long as your progress continues in its own meandering, non-linear manner, you'll get there. Taking care to properly prepare and store your food is one of the most critical steps you can take, but knowing also how to weigh and measure it is important, too.

Preparing your meals at home is incredibly empowering, and by doing so, you'll hit your goals sooner rather than later. The best part is that you'll never have to come home to an empty fridge, starving and miserable, and resort to having to dial out for heavy, greasy, unsatisfying takeout. Properly planning ahead, and having a variety of delicious and wholesome meals in your fridge, will ensure you'll always have a hearty and satisfying meal on call, saving you time, money, stress, and needless frustration.

What Are the Best Tools for Meal Plan Success?

You've got the drive and the ambition to get started today -- but do you have the right tools?

Every successful meal prepper needs an arsenal of indispensable equipment to make their foray into the kitchen a resounding success. You already know that you need a meat thermometer, a kitchen scale, and glass meal prep containers, but what else is essential to complete your beginner's collection?

Don't overlook the importance of:

A slow cooker: Absolutely critical for those days you that you come home completely beat and unwilling to cook.

Having Meal Plan Magic in your back pocket, of course! With our comprehensive program, we will give you a complete nutritional blueprint custom-tailored to your specific needs. It includes meal prep outlines and shopping lists. By investing in Meal Plan Magic, you're investing in yourself and your long term health.

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/fail-proof-bulking-meal-plan-for-muscle-building-with-example2018-04-25T13:34:00-04:002018-04-25T22:33:04-04:00Fail-proof Bulking Meal Plan for Muscle Building with ExampleKaryl Trejo
Whether your goals are to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger or you're just looking to add few pounds of lean muscle mass, a bulking meal plan can help you get that chiseled physique that you crave.

Today is the day that you woke up and said, "This is it. I'm tired of feeling like a blob and I'm ready to get fit." Or maybe you've been tossing the idea around in your head for a while now, but you're more than a little lost on where to begin. Your trepidation is understandable -- starting a new strength training program can be daunting, especially with the bounty of conflicting information out there.

Whether your goals are to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger or you're just looking to add few pounds of lean muscle mass, a bulking meal plan can help you get that chiseled physique that you crave.

Hit Your Macronutrient Goals

The RDA for protein is a mere 0.8g per kilogram of bodyweight. For a 150-pound person, that's just 54 grams of protein daily. However, it's important to distinguish two important things: one, currently Americans are currently failing to hit their minimum RDAs of protein and two, the RDA is a minimum for daily living. To build muscle, you would need to increase your intake significantly.

The current RDAs of protein are grossly understated. The current requirements suggest that only about 10% of calories should come from protein, but recent studies revealed that 1.0 -1.5 g/kg per day was far superior to maintain proper health. To build muscle, aim for 1.3g-1.8g per kilogram of bodyweight. For that same 150-pound person, protein requirements jump to over double the original RDA at 89g-123g of protein.

Be sure to consume your protein with a hearty dose of carbohydrates to achieve peak performance. Consume an average of 5g-6g per kilogram of weight to fully replenish your glycogen stores, or around 55-60% of your diet.

Best Protein Sources

Research has shown, time and again, that the best source of protein comes from dairyproducts. Whey and casein create some of the best muscle gains in strength training. However, for those who can't eat dairy, don't despair: you can still build muscle mass using other sources of protein.

Whole protein sources are vastly superior to supplements, so enjoy a variety of protein from foods to build muscle mass, including eggs, fish, chicken, and even steak.

While plant based proteins aren't as beneficial, they can still help you build mass. Vegans can maximize lean muscle gains while strength training by eating plenty of leucine (which is shown to promote muscle synthesis) from lentils and soy protein.

Aim For a Clean Bulk

Some athletes prefer to indulge in a dirty bulk. They don't pay much attention to the quality of what they're eating so much as the quantity. As long as they're eating surplus calories and protein, they're happy.

While a dirty bulk has been shown to help gain muscle mass, too often extra body fat will tag along for the ride. All bulks will result in weight gain; you cannot build muscle in absence of a calorie surplus. However, the amount of weight gain that converts into fat versus muscle is largely determined by the diet you choose. A diet higher in protein will result in more muscle mass versus a junk-food diet. Plus, a diet higher in vitamins and minerals will help your body heal faster – zinc, Vitamin A and Vitamin C consumed alongside protein leads to a stronger, healthier body.

Aim for a modest calorie surplus of around 500-1000 extra calories over your daily expenditure to gain the most muscle mass with the least amount of unwanted fat. To further increase those gains, supplement your diet with Omega-3 fatty acids. You'll have less inflammation, less DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), and improved muscular hypertrophy from adding these essential fatty acids into your diet.

A bulking meal plan doesn't have to be a tedious chore of bland protein supplements. Focus on a clean bulk with a variety of foods from whole sources to keep your appetite and your mouth satisfied. You'll be sure to build lean muscle mass and minimize unwanted fat storage, giving you that cut look that you've earned in both the gym and the kitchen.

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/why-a-no-dairy-diet-is-simple-and-effective-with-example-dairy-free-meal-plan2018-04-18T14:06:00-04:002018-05-01T23:27:01-04:00Why a No Dairy Diet is Simple and Effective with Example Dairy-Free Meal PlanKaryl Trejo
Dairy is high in Vitamin D, Vitamin B-12, calcium, riboflavin, and phosphorous. Cutting it out completely can put you at risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, but it's fairly simple to find dairy-free replacements. Here is an Example Full Day Dairy Free Meal Plan

Some couples are so adorable, it's sickening -- they're like cookies and milk or bread and butter when they're together. But what if you and your soul mate were more like peas and carrots due to a crippling lactose intolerance?

For some people, these quaint pairings are a recipe for pain. Avoiding dairy for personal reasons, whether it's due to an allergy or a concern about ethical farming, can seem initially difficult. Fortunately, many dairy products are easily replaced with delicious dairy-free alternatives, making a no dairy diet a cinch.

Avoid Digestive Discomfort

For the 30 million people with lactose intolerance, even a small serving of dairy is a catalyst for misery. Lactose intolerance develops when the small intestines can't make enough lactase, the enzyme required to digest the sugars in milk. The tolerable upper limit of dairy products for those with lactose intolerance is typically around 2-4 ounces of milk. Symptoms can occur as quickly as a half hour -- but may be delayed up to two hours -- and include gas, bloating, cramps, and hasty retreats to the bathroom. Treatment for lactose intolerance is straightforward: just avoid it, and your symptoms should go into remission.

Many people with celiac disease, a disorder that causes an autoimmune response when gluten-containing foods are eaten, may also respond adversely to a protein in milk. This protein, known as casein, has been shown to cross-react similarly to gluten in those with gluten intolerance. Avoiding dairy altogether is especially important for those who are trying to avoid unwanted inflammation from gluten.

Clear Your Skin

Here's another compelling reason to avoid dairy: research indicates that milk products are very likely to cause acne.

Dairy contains something called "insulin-like growth factor-1" (IGF-1). IGF-1 serves an important role in the body, aiding growth of your bones and muscles during your childhood to help you grow big and strong. It makes sense that it would be found in a food that is typically produced to be food for baby cows.

IGF-1, however, is also known to encourage the growth of your keratinocytes and sebocytes. Keratinocytes are the cells that make up the outer layer of your epidermis, and your sebocytes produce sebum, which is skin oil. In the presence of IGF-1, your keratinocytes become sticky and clump together with the sebum, clogging your pores and triggering an outbreak.

Find Other Sources for Your Nutrients

Dairy is high in Vitamin D, Vitamin B-12, calcium, riboflavin, and phosphorous. Cutting it out completely can put you at risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, but it's fairly simple to find dairy-free replacements.

An adult needs 700mg of phosphorous daily. It can be found in turkey breast (188mg per 3-ounce portion), pumpkin seeds (350mg per ounce), and oats (209mg per 1/2 cup).

To hit your calcium needs, aim for 1,000mg-1,200mg of this mineral daily. Non-dairy sources of it include bone-in sardines (108mg per ounce), fortified orange juice (1500mg per cup), and tofu (575mg per 3-ounce serving).

You should try to consume 600IU of Vitamin D every day. Get it from sockeye salmon (570IU per 3-ounce portion), fortified soy milk (119IU per cup), supplements, and sunshine (10,000IU can be made from 10 minutes of bright, midday sun).

An adult needs between 1.1mg-1.3mg of riboflavin per day, and you can find it in almonds (0.34mg per ounce), dry roasted edamame (0.21mg per ounce), and steak (0.37mg per 3-ounce ribeye).

If you've given up milk, don't despair. There are several alternatives out there that can make transitioning to a no dairy diet a breeze. Top your bagel with vegan cream cheese, or add a splash of soy creamer to your coffee to help you wake up in the morning. Today's dairy free foods mimic the originals so closely that you'll find that you won't even notice that you're not eating the real-deal stuff.

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Example Dairy-Free Meal Plan

Adhering to a no dairy diet doesn't have to be boring or bland. Swap your favorite dairy-filled foods with tasty non-dairy alternatives and you'll soon discover that you don't even miss milk or cheese anymore.

Making the choice to eat a no dairy diet can lead to several health benefits, including less inflammation, happier bowels, and clearer skin. Choose a diet rich in fresh, whole foods and you'll soon find yourself on a path of improved health and happiness.

Whether you've mastered your own dairy-free diet or you're still struggling to commit, these articles may be of interest to you!

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/the-definitive-strategy-to-naturally-increase-testosterone-with-foods-that-boost-with-example-meal-plan2018-04-11T14:30:00-04:002018-04-25T22:45:06-04:00Definitive Strategy to Naturally Increase Testosterone with Example Meal Plan of Foods that BoostKaryl Trejo
Research has indicated that obesity can cut the testosterone levels in men in half. Nearly one-in-four overweight men may be at risk of low testosterone, but by modifying your lifestyle and losing weight (to the tune of about 17 pounds), your risk of low testosterone drops by 46%. By shedding the weight and filling your pantry with foods that boost testosterone, you can kill two birds with one stone. Check out this example meal plan to boost testosterone.

If you've ever heard that phrase from a more adventurous friend and immediately thought that it was a load of bull, then it just might blow your mind to discover that certain foods can actually result in a swath of hair cropping up on the space between your navel and your neck.

Testosterone is the hormone that is in charge of making men, well, men. A deep voice, development of sperm, bone density, and yes, even chest hair are all directly related to this sex hormone. On the other hand, if you've noticed a gradual decline in your sleep quality, sex drive, and mood, low testosterone may be the culprit.

Fortunately, giving your testosterone levels a kick in the pants is fairly simple and doesn't require a total upheaval of your life. There are many foods that boost testosterone and, combined with some basic lifestyle changes, you can find yourself back to your normal manly self in no time.

Take a Hard Look at Your Lifestyle

If you've noticed yourself getting a little thick around the middle, your sleep is suffering, and you've set exercise to the wayside, you may be inadvertently sabotaging your own virility. In today's hectic, hustle-and-bustle way of life, it's far too common to choose career advancements over health and fitness. However, long-term neglect of these aspects of your life can be detrimental to your well-being as well as your masculinity.

Research has indicated that obesity can cut the testosterone levels in men in half. Nearly one-in-four overweight men may be at risk of low testosterone, but by modifying your lifestyle and losing weight (to the tune of about 17 pounds), your risk of low testosterone drops by 46%. By shedding the weight and filling your pantry with foods that boost testosterone, you can kill two birds with one stone.

In addition to eating right, you can also boost your testosterone with exercise and snagging a good night's sleep. Lifting weights has been demonstrated to boost testosterone in men of all ages, and even a brief stint with cardio can reap significant benefits. Reward yourself with a hot shower and crawl into bed early and aim for a full 8-hours of sleep to maximize your testosterone boosting benefits.

Eat Like a Man

Certain foods have been shown to restore testosterone serum levels, especially in men who have been deficient in these essential vitamins and minerals.

For instance, men who were low in Vitamin D found that supplementing their diets with it resulted in significant improvement in testosterone levels. Men need 600IU of this vitamin daily and foods rich in it include sockeye salmon (570IU per 3-ounce portion), eggs (46IU each), and fortified milk (120IU per cup).

Low zinc is fairly common and is linked with hypogonadism (low sperm count) in men, but getting enough of this mineral can vastly improve testosterone levels. Aim for 11mg daily of this mineral from foods like tri-tip steak (3.9mg per 3-ounce serving), raw oysters (5.5mg each), and cashews (1.6mg per ounce).

An amino acid called d-aspartic acid has also been shown to contribute to higher testosterone levels. While there's no set RDA for this amino acid, it's plentiful in various protein sources and easy to include in your diet. You can find it in chicken breast (2.32g per 3 ounces), peanut butter (1.06g per 2 tablespoons), almonds (0.78g per ounce), and black beans (0.92g per 1/2 cup cooked).

If you were worried about sacrificing pleasure or flavor when trying to eat foods that boost testosterone, think again. Garlic, which is the exact opposite of bland, also improves testosterone levels. And lastly, everyone's favorite drink -- coffee! -- is shown to improve testosterone, so enjoy that latte in the morning without worry.

One Full Day Example Meal Plan to Boost Testosterone

In addition to a healthier lifestyle, there are several foods that boost testosterone that you can sneak into your diet. These foods are unquestionably delicious and the fact that they can make your testosterone levels higher is just an added bonus of consuming them.

By stepping up your fitness game, ensuring you get plenty of sleep at night, and integrating foods that boost testosterone into your diet, you can find yourself with renewed vigor and health. Over time, with these lifestyle changes, you may find that you'll feel like a young man (both in and out of the bedroom!) once again.

Still struggling with questions about boosting testosterone and achieving hormonal balance?

Find a day that you're well-rested and refreshed to do your weekly grocery shopping. Make a list to avoid forgetting important ingredients or impulsively throwing random items into your shopping cart. Don't go shopping while hungry – that's a recipe for disaster and overspending! If you make sure you're shopping when your stomach isn't grumbling and you don't feel rushed, you'll be more likely to adhere to your shopping list and your healthy weekly meal plan.

Browse the outer perimeters of the grocery store to stock up on fruits and vegetables. When it's time to navigate the inner aisles of the store, stay focused and stick to the staples that you planned for. Make sure you set aside some treats, however, so you don't feel like your diet is a dull and unappetizing; you'll be more likely to stick to it if you give yourself a good selection of satiating and pleasurable foods.

Does this sound like you? You hit the snooze button one too many times, you're facing rush-hour traffic, and you just rushed out of the house again without breakfast – and there it is, the alluring neon glow of a fast-food sign that promises cheap coffee and a nutritionally-void pastry.

When the urge to swerve your car into the familiar queue of your local fast food joint strikes, resist temptation planning ahead for the week with a healthy weekly meal plan. By shopping for a variety of meals that are tasty and easy to prepare on your grab-and-go lifestyle, you can resist the desire to succumb to a greasy paper bag full of remorse and French fries.

Preparing food in the comfort of your own home will give you confidence that not only will it be delicious, but it will also leave you comfortably satisfied instead of heavy and bloated.

Keep Your Goals in Sight

While the occasional fast food meal isn't the end of the world, excessive consumption can lead to gastric upset and weight gain. A balanced approach to eating can help you stave off those unwanted side effects.

To achieve your RDAs of protein, aim for 1.2g-1.6g per kilogram of bodyweight. For a 150-pound person, that comes to around 82g-109g of protein per day.

Most people are only getting about 16g of fiber per day, well below the RDA of 21g-38g. Increase your fiber slowly (to avoid stomach pain and gas) and you can reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and obesity.

Failure to hit your RDAs of vitamins and minerals can lead to long-lasting and dangerous side-effects, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, impaired cognition, and death. The average American is severely lacking in Vitamins D, A, C, and K. Mineral deficiencies in potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium are also very common.

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Careful attention to your diet will ensure that you'll be healthy and fit when the rest of the office is coming down with that nasty cold that's been making its rounds.

Plan Ahead to Avoid Getting Derailed

Find a day that you're well-rested and refreshed to do your weekly grocery shopping. Make a list to avoid forgetting important ingredients or impulsively throwing random items into your shopping cart. Don't go shopping while hungry – that's a recipe for disaster and overspending! If you make sure you're shopping when your stomach isn't grumbling and you don't feel rushed, you'll be more likely to adhere to your shopping list and your healthy weekly meal plan.

Browse the outer perimeters of the grocery store to stock up on fruits and vegetables. When it's time to navigate the inner aisles of the store, stay focused and stick to the staples that you planned for. Make sure you set aside some treats, however, so you don't feel like your diet is a dull and unappetizing; you'll be more likely to stick to it if you give yourself a good selection of satiating and pleasurable foods.

Example Healthy Weekly Meal Plan

The healthy weekly meal plan below features a wealth of wholesome foods, allowing you to choose from a diverse array of meal options without feeling deprived.

If you follow this healthy weekly meal plan, you should end your week with an average of 1,550 calories per day, 86g of protein, 24g fiber and:

680% of your 700mcg-900mcg of Vitamin A

153% of your 1.1mg-1.3mg of Riboflavin

174% of your 1.3mg-1.7mg of Vitamin B-6

190% of your 2.4mcg of Vitamin B-12

225% of your 75mg-90mg of Vitamin C

299% of your 90mcg-120mcg of Vitamin K

132% of your 310mg-420mg of Magnesium

124% of your 8mg-11mg of Zinc

In addition, you'll get:

88% of your 400mcg Folate

69% of your 600IU of Vitamin D

76% of your 15mg of Vitamin E

70% of your 1,000mg-1,200mg of Calcium

62% of your 8mg-18mg of Iron

67% of your 4.7g of Potassium

By rotating your staples on your weekly healthy meal plan and diversifying your diet, you can achieve these recommended daily goals while enjoying a wide assortment of nutritious and delicious foods.

If you like seeing examples of sample meal plans, you're going to love these in-depth articles, each complete with a one-day meal plan. No matter what type of diet you follow, we have something for you here:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/glass-vs-plastic-choosing-the-best-meal-prep-containers2018-03-05T23:38:00-05:002018-05-09T01:09:06-04:00Glass Vs. Plastic: Choosing The Best Meal Prep ContainersKaryl Trejo
If you're about to make even a small investment in kitchen storage and meal prep containers, the debate between which is better—glass or plastic—probably has landed squarely on your table.

If you're about to make even a small investment in kitchen storage and meal prep containers, the debate between which is better—glass or plastic—probably has landed squarely on your table.

So get ready for a little “kitchen chemistry.” Just like when you learned why yeast must “proof,” why shortening produces different results than butter in baked goods, and why extra virgin olive reigns supreme, your eyes might roll as easily as a turkey meatball off a spoon. It might help to think of this as a painless and short-term condition that, in the end, will help you make an informed and educated decision about glass vs. plastic.

But here's a pointer to ponder: Think about which type of person you are—the type who is content to plunk down an open bag of almonds on a table or the type who empties the almonds in a bowl. If you're the latter—careful and somewhat fussy—then you're likely to invest in glass meal prep containers.

Choosing between glass and plastic meal prep containers is like a three-step recipe. It calls for you to add a dash of science, whisk in your opinion of the controversy (yes, controversy) and then leaven your final decision with the word “fastidious.” It either describes your basic nature—and how you “dress” your table—or not.

Weigh the Science of Plastic

Tupperware might be the best-known manufacturer of plastic containers, but it certainly isn't the only one. Many plastic food containers are made with polycarbonate, which the company describes as “a high-strength plastic made from a monomer known as bisphenol-A (BPA).” The straight-talking scientists at the American Chemistry Council deftly explain the appeal of this storage choice when they point out that “airtight polycarbonate food storage containers help preserve freshness and protect foods from contamination, and many polycarbonate food containers offer the added convenience of safely going from freezer to microwave to dishwasher.”

Plastics are categorized based on which raw material was used in their production. They are classified by one of seven resin identification codes, numbered 1 through 7. You can find this code imprinted in a small triangle on the bottom of all plastic containers. The seven categories are:

Category 1: Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene, which is used to make juice, peanut butter, soft drink and water containers.

Category 2: High-density polyethylene, which is common in water and milk jugs as well as shampoo and detergent containers.

Category 3: Polyvinyl chloride, which is used to package peanut butter and cooking oil and also detergent and window cleaner.

Category 4: Low-density polyethylene, which is found in grocery store bags, most plastic wraps and some bottles.

Category 5: Polypropylene, which is used in straws and other clouded plastic containers as well as yogurt and syrup containers.

Category 6: Polystyrene, which you will find in egg cartons, Styrofoam food trays, disposable cups and bowls and carryout containers.

Category 7: Usually polycarbonate, found most often in baby bottles, sports water bottles, some plastic cutlery and some name-brand food storage containers.

Regulatory Authorities Weigh in

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics doesn't mince words: “In general, the safest choices for food use are numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5,” it says. That's good news for many consumers because many leading plastic containers are made from No. 4 or 5 plastics. But it has placed Tupperware in particular under the spotlight, because many of its containers are made with polycarbonate (and its derivative, BPA), a category 7 plastic.

How much of a health risk, if any, this plastic poses has been the focus of intense study, scrutiny and debate by government agencies, academia and regulatory authorities worldwide. The fear is that trace levels of the hormone-disrupting BPA can migrate to food items, especially as this tough, resilient plastic eventually breaks down after repeated use and/or heating in the microwave.

For now, the verdict, you could say, is as clear as glass: “Extensive safety data on BPA show that polycarbonate plastic can be used safely in consumer products,” the American Chemistry Council says. “... the use of polycarbonate plastic for food-contact applications continues to be recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration … and other regulatory authorities worldwide.”

The latter point is noteworthy because some of these authorities, such as the European Food Safety Authority, have more stringent standards than the United States FDA. And the EFSA says that its “comprehensive re-evaluation of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and toxicity concludes that BPA poses no health risk to consumers of any age group (including unborn children, infants and adolescents) at current exposure levels.”

Caution Flavors the Debate

For its part, Tupperware pledges to remain vigilant about polycarbonate, saying it “will continue to closely monitor this scientific debate and research the best materials for use in its products.”

In the meantime, consumers ought to inspect plastic containers for their resin code and avoid category 7 plastics, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says. “Go BPA free,” it says before advocating a better-safe-than-sorry strategy: “Glass is overall a safer bet for food storage than plastic.”

The defense council agrees that it's wise to err on the side of caution: “Glass, ceramic and stoneware are the safest options when it comes to food packaging and storage because they do not leach any questionable chemicals when in contact with food.”

While many culinary experts appear to be fully informed about polycarbonate, they tend to balance safety with practicality and function. They note that while plastic is lightweight and durable, glass meal prep containers can be heavy and breakable. But glass offers advantages, too. Namely:

Their transparent quality makes it easy to identify and manage food storage

They transfer easily from the refrigerator to the microwave

They look attractive on a tabletop

And with that ushers in the issue of personal choice, much like the almonds-in-the-bag-or-in-a-bowl choice. Whether you choose glass, plastic or a combination of the two meal prep containers, you will find assurance in Meal Plan Magic, a fresh meal planning tool that can help you plan fresh meals and snacks, write a shopping list, choose fresh ingredients at the store and then maybe even surprise yourself with the results. If “fastidious” doesn't describe your nature now, it will as you learn to rely on the precision of Meal Plan Magic.

We Did the Testing and Research for You

If you're serious about achieving your body goals, one of the best ways to stay on track in this busy world is to meal prep and portion your food in advance. With so many options these days, it can be hard to tell what meal prep containers are best for you. It's important to choose quality meal prep containers that fit your lifestyle, the variety of your meals, and the size of your meal prep. We have tested nearly every container on the market and offer only the best of the best meal prep containers to compliment any meal plan and body goal. Click here to see which containers we recommend.

With so many different methods available for storing your meal preps, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Let us help clear some of that confusion up for you!

Those suffering from type 2 diabetes will need to take extra precautions when choosingfoods to eat. Research has found that individuals living with the disease seem to thrive when they have a diet that is rich in fiber and green, leafy vegetables, and foods that have a low glycemic index. Try this example meal plan for type 2 diabetes!

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 29 million people are living with type 2 Diabetes in the United States. The chronic illness affects the way the body processes blood sugar. Different than type 1 Diabetes, type 2 can often be controlled with a proper diet and, in some cases, with oral medication. While it can be a scary diagnosis, those living with the condition can alter their diet to ensure the illness doesn’t negatively impact their overall health. If you are living with type 2 diabetes, you'll need to become a diabetic meal planner to ensure your blood sugar stays in a healthy range.

Here's a sobering thought: the 7th leading cause of death in the United States is diabetes, yet 1-in-4 people with this disease don't even realize that they have it. Over 30 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes and another 86 million are prediabetic -- and this year, 1/4 million of them will die.

Diabetes occurs when your body is no longer able to create sufficient insulin to regulate your blood sugar. If left untreated, it can result in kidney failure, blindness, loss of limbs, and eventually death. Fortunately, it's fairly easy to control Type 2 diabetes through a combination of medication and diet. A comprehensive diabetic meal planner can take the guesswork out of what to eat and help you successfully manage this illness.

Get Off the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster

A high glycemic-index diet has been determined to be a main cause of diabetes. When you eat a diet high in sugar and refined carbs, your pancreas release insulin to bring your blood glucose levels back down to normal levels. Over time, your insulin sensitivity decreases, requiring them to release more, leading to insulin resistance.

The good news is you can avoid the dangerous repercussions of carbohydrates simply by reducing their glycemic load. Mitigate the inevitable blood sugar spike after a carb-heavy meal by pairing it with fiber, fat, and protein. When drawing up your diabetic meal planner, optimize your health by adding these important macronutrients into your daily diet.

What Foods Should a Diabetic Eat?

Those suffering from type 2 diabetes will need to take extra precautions when choosing foods to eat. Research has found that individuals living with the disease seem to thrive when they have a diet that is rich in fiber and green, leafy vegetables, and foods that have a low glycemic index. Foods you should eat include:

Spinach

Whole grains

Sweet potatoes

Apples

Beans

Avocado

Flaxseed

Nuts

Yogurt

Chicken

Red grapefruits

Oatmeal

Salmon

Adding these foods to your diet will help level out blood sugar and can be useful in avoiding blood sugar spikes throughout the day.

Fill Up on Fiber

Not only can fiber help regulate your bowels and help prevent constipation, it has also been proven to help lower blood sugar by blocking absorption all of those carbs. As an added bonus, it can reduce your risk of stroke, high blood pressure, and also help you lose weight.

There are two types of fiber found in nature: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is the more gelatinous kind of fiber and is found in foods like bran, nuts, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Insoluble fiber, found in whole grains, is the more explosive type and adds bulk to your stool. The recommended daily amount of fiber for an adult is between 25-30g per day, or around 14g per 1000 calories consumed. To hit your fiber targets, enjoy a bowl of oatmeal (4g per 1/2 cup), beans (8g per 1/2 cup), and fruits (5g per apple) and vegetables (2.5g per 1/2 cup of broccoli).

Choose Fat and Protein

A diet higher in fat and protein has been demonstrated to reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes by reducing the glycemic load of carbohydrates. Protein reduces the insulin spike twice as well as fat does, but both successfully slow the glycemic response in the body. What does this mean for you? If you want your cake (and to eat it, too!) pair it with a nice, tall glass of ice cold milk to reduce the insulin response.

While the jury is still out on saturated fats, it's still a safe bet to reach for lean proteins from fish (21g per filet), chicken (27g per 1/2 breast), and vegetarian sources like dairy (9g per cup of skim milk) and legumes (9g per 1/2 cup of lentils). Fats from plant sources like avocado (5g per 1/4 fruit), almonds (15g per oz), and olive oil (13.5g per tbs) are also a great way to hit your daily targets.

What Foods Should Diabetics Avoid

While many believe that sugar needs to be removed entirely from the diet when they are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, that isn’t necessarily the case. Each person with diabetes is different, and it is essential, to be honest about your current diet. Diabetics should avoid the following foods;

Sugar cereals

White bread

Regular sodas

Sweetened fruit juices and cocktails

Deep-fried foods

Ice cream

Cookies and cake

High-carb coffee drinks

These items are likely to wreak havoc on the blood sugar of diabetics, and even people who are not diagnosed as a person with diabetes. Experts suggest limiting these as much as possible, and if you are going to indulge to ensure the rest of your day is well-balanced.

Meal Planning for Type 2 Diabetes

Being a diabetic meal planner is not just about having your food ready-to-eat or even just having a general idea of what you plan on having for the day. A true meal plan is a way of mapping out what and when you’ll be eating to ensure you get the most nutritional benefit.

Timing: Experts suggest eating every 3 hours to avoid blood sugar spikes and drops. Plan to have three meals, plus two snacks.

Food Amounts: Researchers have found that people who eat larger, more calorically-dense breakfasts are more likely to lose weight than individuals who save their calories for their evening meal.

Snacks: To keep your blood sugar stable, doctors suggest type 2 diabetics keep healthy snacks on hand. A handful of nuts or a piece of fruit can be used to prevent blood sugar spikes and drops between meals. Be sure, however, to keep the calories you are ingesting in mind.

Vegetables: Vegetables should be ingested throughout the day. It is crucial to avoid vegetables that are packed with sodium, such as canned vegetables, and veggies that are covered in calorie-dense sauces.

Protein: You need to eat plenty of protein to help fuel your body. Prepare grilled chicken, salmon, other lean meats, and beans for both lunch and dinner.

Example Meal Plan for Type 2 Diabetes

Studies have shown that eating less than 120g of carbs a day is ideal to help prevent Type 2 diabetes. To avoid blood sugar fluctuations, focus on keeping carbohydrates low and intake from healthy fats and proteins high. Instead of consuming excessive grains, get your fiber from sources like fruits, vegetables, and legumes. This 24-hour diabetic meal planner will help you better understand how to manage this disease without sacrificing taste.

Managing your Type 2 diabetes doesn't have to be bland or boring. By being a wise diabetic meal planner and basing your diet around foods low in carbohydrates and high in fat, protein, and fiber, you can control this life-threatening illness and regain control of your health while still enjoying a wide variety of delicious, filling, and nutritious foods.

Easy Meal Prepping Tricks for Diabetes

One way to ensure you stay on your eating plan is to prep foods ahead of time. Often people are so busy in the mornings and so tired in the evenings that they rush for quick food options. According to doctors, this is a recipe for disaster. A diabetic meal planner stays on plan more often when they prep their foods ahead of time.

Use a crockpot to prepare your dinner before you leave the house. Simply set it and forget it, and you’ll come home to a house that smells delicious and an already prepared dinner. Remember to avoid the use of canned ingredients in these meals.

Plan out your meals in advance and prepare as much as you can. If you plan to have grilled chicken over salad for lunch, cook a large batch of grilled chicken ahead of time. This makes it easier for you to prepare a salad before you head out the door.

Pre-portion your snacks by dividing a larger bag of a snack food into small containers or zip-lock bags. Divide nuts into single serving cups, so they are easy to toss in your lunch bag or purse. You can even pre-sliced apples and oranges and store them in a storage bag for easy access. Pre-portioning should be a staple activity for any diabetic meal planner.

While Type 2 diabetes isn’t a diagnosis that anyone wants to get, it is an illness that can be worked with to ensure your overall health stays good. Sure, it will require you to become a diabetic meal planner, but you can thrive even with the diagnosis.

Just about anyone can benefit from cutting out unnecessary carbs from their diet. For more inspiration, check out these helpful articles:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/college-students-tips-for-eating-clean-on-a-budget2018-03-04T12:30:00-05:002018-05-03T00:00:22-04:00College Students: Tips for Eating Clean on a BudgetKaryl Trejo
As you compare notes with friends and neighbors who have college age students of their own, it doesn't seem to matter if the student attends school on the West Coast, the East Coast or somewhere in the Midwest. They are very likely to wage similar objections to why they cannot possibly make healthy food choices on a budget:

Grocery shopping takes too much time.

Grocery shopping costs too much money.

Healthy food doesn't taste that great.

Frequent snacking is a necessity, especially to fuel those late-night study and cram sessions.

There are too many temptations on campus (such as too many high-carb menu items in the dormitories and too many burger and pizza places in town).

If you didn't know any better, you might assume that colleges and universities all across the country offer a class called Mastering the Art of Child-Parent Argumentation 101.

As you compare notes with friends and neighbors who have college age students of their own, it doesn't seem to matter if the student attends school on the West Coast, the East Coast or somewhere in the Midwest. They are very likely to wage similar objections to why they cannot possibly make healthy food choices on a budget:

Grocery shopping takes too much time.

Grocery shopping costs too much money.

Healthy food doesn't taste that great.

Frequent snacking is a necessity, especially to fuel those late-night study and cram sessions.

There are too many temptations on campus (such as too many high-carb menu items in the dormitories and too many burger and pizza places in town).

Make your powerful counterpoint

As a major influence in the life of your college-age student, it's time for you to exert a little push-back. You can easily debunk the first four points, especially when you introduce your student to a fresh meal planning tool that should strongly appeal to their quest for information.

You can address their fifth objection—and steer them to healthier food choices—with a one-two punch supplied by the University of Colorado-Boulder: “The main food groups often missing from student diets typically include fruits and veggies, fiber and milk”—precisely the calcium-, iron- and protein-rich foods that college-age bodies need as they achieve “maximum brain capacity.”

Inject some magic into the planning

Write a meal plan for the week with the help of Meal Plan Magic. As the University points out, “Meal planning can help you make a list to use as a road map at the grocery store and get everything you need for all of your meals. It also helps avoid that feeling of, 'I have all this food, but don't know how to make a meal out of it.'”

Look through your cabinets, refrigerator and freezer and take note of what you have on hand. Find ways to use these items in snacks and meals throughout the week.

Write a list and double-check it to ensure that it has plenty of representation from those five food groups. Going to the grocery store without a list would be like taking a midterm without studying for it. When you become familiar with the store, you can even organize your list by the store's layout—or at least by food category so that your trip is more efficient (thereby eliminating objections No. 1 and 2).

Munch on a healthy snack before shopping to reduce the chance of impulse buys.

Check the discounts offered on coupons against the price of products at the store. Sometimes, store brands are less expensive without a coupon. And many coupons are for highly processed foods that don't conform to a healthy eating plan. (When you think about it, when was the last time you saw a coupon for produce items, such apples, lettuce and potatoes?)

Stick to the items on the list. Buy sale items at the store only if you're certain you can incorporate them into your meal plan. What appears to be a good deal at the store can end up being a waste of money if you don't use it.

Smart Storage Tip: Being a college student adds an extra layer of difficulty to eating healthy, especially when you're at the mercy of the university's cafeteria. A mini fridge is not only affordable, but it'll put you back in charge of your eating decisions. Keep it stocked with fresh fruit, pre-cut veggies, and greek yogurt to help you curb those late night study sesh cravings and give you a healthier alternative to the greasy options offered in the caf.

Smart tips for buying protein

Vary your protein food choices, experimenting with main dishes made with beans, nuts and seafood. Nuts and seeds are particularly nutritious, but watch their caloric content and try to relegate them to smaller portions.

Try to eat seafood twice a week instead of meat or chicken, choosing those low in mercury, such as herring, salmon and trout.

Enjoy one egg a day without fear of risking future heart disease, but consume as many egg whites as you wish.

Smart tips for buying dairy

Switch to skim, 1 percent milk or soy milk.

Buy milk, yogurt and cheese in the largest size you will be able to consume before it spoils.

Bookmark the fact that your college-age student will find this process easier than getting up in time for an 8 a.m. class with Meal Plan Magic at his or her side. Like a straightforward textbook, it is the cornerstone of any healthy meal planning routine, especially when time and money are stretched to the limit. And a happy side benefit? It will help you perfect the art of child-parent argumentation.

If you're on your own for the first time, meal prep may seem overwhelming and daunting. These articles can help answer any questions you may have!

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/meal-planning-strategy-to-boost-fertility-and-prepare-for-pregnancy2018-03-03T07:00:00-05:002018-04-29T17:58:35-04:00Meal Planning Strategies to Boost Fertility and Prepare for Pregnancy with Example Meal PlanKaryl Trejo
Whether you’re still in the early stages of planning for a baby or you’re ready to start now, there are several foods you can incorporate into your diet to help boost your fertility. Your diet has a hand in your fertility health, and adding these nutritious food options to your meals might just give your fertility the boost you need. Some of the foods might surprise you.

Nothing else can fill the void in your life quite like a cooing, drooling, pooping little bundle of joy. Whether you’re still in the early stages of planning for a baby or you’re ready to start now, there are several foods you can incorporate into your diet to help boost your fertility. While meal planning may not be in the forefront of your mind right now, any extra thing you do today can help alleviate the anxiety that comes when you're waiting for the telltale second line on a pregnancy test. Your diet has a hand in your fertility health, and adding these nutritious food options to your meals might just give your fertility the boost you need. Some of the foods might surprise you.

The RDA for Omega-3's falls between 1.1-1.6g daily. Fatty fish such as anchovies (1.4g), salmon (1g), and sardines (1.36g) are rich in these fatty acids. Wild-caught salmon is also safe for those trying to conceive because it has lower levels of mercury than some of its counterparts. Those looking to become pregnant should avoid eating shark, swordfish, and mackerel due to mercury concerns. If your diet excludes fish, don’t sweat it. You can still get adequate Omega-3s from flax (3.19g) and chia seeds (2.5g).

Add Some Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of those multi-tasking vitamins that never takes a rest day. Even your reproductive organs have receptors for it scattered throughout them. The role of Vitamin D is to tell cells what to do, and when you're deficient, your body won't be able to create enough estrogen or produce healthy eggs. Your body requires 600 IU of Vitamin D daily. Next time you’re at the grocery store, stock up on dairy (127 IU), mushrooms (6.3 IU), and eggs (44 IU). Remember: sunshine is free, and just 10-20 minutes a week can also help do the trick.

Full-fat milk products are also good for ovulatory function. Researchers at Harvard found that one to two servings of full-fat milk, or milk products (like ice cream) boost fertility, while their low-fat or non-fat counterparts do the opposite. So, feel free to indulge in full-fat but don’t go too far. Doctors warn that when replacing low-fat items, you’ll need to compensate for the fat and calories in other areas of your diet.

Bump up the Leafy Greens

While people trying to conceive have the green light to indulge in a little rocky road, it isn’t all fun and games. Green, leafy vegetables are a staple for those looking to boost fertility. Spinach and romaine lettuce is a great source of Vitamin B and folate.

Your body needs both to support healthy ovulation. While you’re bulking up your salads with those leafy greens, remember to add some to your partner's plate, too. Men who have elevated levels of folate in their system have healthier sperm than those with low levels of folate.

Iron is Essential

A body that wants to grow another human needs to be healthy and robust. Iron is one of the critical nutrients needed to build a healthy body. While the spinach you're adding to your plate certainly helps, pumpkin seeds should now be your go-to snack. Roasted pumpkin seeds are high in non-heme iron. This is the type of iron that is used in supplementation for those suffering from anemia.

Non-heme iron may have regulating effects on reproductive hormones and can boost your ability to conceive. To make you and your partner fertility superstar, sneak a few pumpkin seeds into your man’s food, too. The elevated level of zinc found in pumpkin seeds may help boost sperm potency.

Reach for Iodine

New research indicates that women who struggle with infertility may be low in iodine. It’s speculated that a lack of iodine can be correlated with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), which can lead to cysts and scarring on the ovaries. Recent data shows that women were 46% less likely to get pregnant if they had a moderate to severe iodine deficiency.

Raising your iodine levels is a cinch, though; just 150mcg of iodine hits your daily requirements. Sprinkle iodized salt (150mcg) on a medium-sized baked potato (60mcg), or have some sushi wrapped in nori (105mcg). Seafood such as cod (90mcg) and shrimp (30mcg) can also help you hit those iodine goals.

Improve His Sperm Count

Struggling with infertility can take its toll on couples, and remaining compassionate and loving to one another is vital when dealing with something so stressful. It’s important to remember that no one person in your relationship is responsible for infertility. If she feels as though she's been doing everything right and you’re still not able to conceive, consider elevating your sperm count to help facilitate pregnancy.

Diets rich in folic acid and zinc have been shown to increase sperm counts by up to 74%. 500mcg of folic acid and 8-11mcg of zinc daily are plenty. Leafy greens such as spinach (163mcg) and Brussels sprouts (54mcg) can be included in your diet for a healthy punch of both. Try some raw oysters (8.8mcg) or savor some lobster (2.2mcg) dipped in clarified butter to bump up those zinc levels. Vitamin E and selenium can help prevent sperm from clumping together, improving its motility. Just 15mg of Vitamin E and 55mcg of selenium are needed to hit your daily goals. You can find Vitamin E in almonds (6.8mg) and selenium in whole wheat bread (26mcg). Lastly, those Omega 3s aren’t just for women. Men who get ample amounts of this fatty acid have higher healthy sperm counts.

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Meal Planning Makes it Easy

While it may be easy to say you’ll add these foods to your diet, your best bet for success is meal planning. Not only can meal planning help you to be more mindful of what you are eating, but it can also help you manage your fertility, too. For example, consider buying a large bag of leafy greens, and separating them out into portions for each day of the week. You can add fruits and veggies to a spinach or arugula salad, leaving out the salad dressing, and stack them in the fridge. When its time to head out the door, grab a box and go. Not only do you have a healthy lunch, but you know precisely what fertility boosting items are in it.

For more time-consuming items, like roasted pumpkin seeds and beans, set aside a day each week to cook big batches of these items. Once they are cooked and cooled, divide your food into individual containers for quick and easy access.

Example 1 Day Meal Plan to Boost Fertility

If you’re wondering what you can eat while trying to get pregnant, here’s an easy and delicious menu that can help take the guesswork out of meal planning for fertility.

Eating for a healthy pregnancy doesn't have to be difficult or boring. By meal planning and diversifying your diet, you can easily hit all of the key vitamins and minerals your body needs to grow a beautiful baby. As long as you make sure to include a wide variety of foods in their whole form, you'll get sufficient Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals in your diet. Eat well, nurture your partner and your body, and soon you'll be able to enjoy your little family together.

Achieving hormonal balance is absolutely critical when planning for a family. These articles can help shed light on the many questions you may have on the subject:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/surpercharged-meal-planning-to-prep-for-a-5k-or-marathon2018-03-02T10:00:00-05:002018-05-01T23:03:30-04:00Surpercharged Meal Planning to Prep for a 5k or Marathon with Example Meal PlanKaryl Trejo
Every runner has a horror story to tell about the time they bonked midway through the big race. They're flying comfortably along the course and suddenly things take a turn for the worse -- all motivation to finish flies out the window and their legs feel as though lead weights are attached to them. While it may seem like common sense to the seasoned runner, more novice runners may not be well versed on what to eat before a 5K or a marathon. By eating a diet that is optimized for runners, you can can successfully avoid injury and finish strong on race day. Try these meal planning tips and example meal plan!

Every runner has a horror story to tell about the time they bonked midway through the big race. They're flying comfortably along the course and suddenly things take a turn for the worse -- all motivation to finish flies out the window and their legs feel as though lead weights are attached to them. While it may seem like common sense to the seasoned runner, more novice runners may not be well versed on what to eat before a 5K or a marathon. By eating a diet that is optimized for runners, you can can successfully avoid injury and finish strong on race day.

What to Eat When Training for a 5k or Marathon

Consider your training for a 5k as an experiment. Over several weeks of training, you’ll find what foods upset your stomach and what foods you tolerate well. Some runners find they can drink tea or coffee before running, while other’s find it leads to stomach issues. Some runners find that going light before a run allows them to run faster and longer, while other runners find they excel with a slightly more substantial meal.

During your preparations for your race, you should keep track of the foods you eat and fuel your body with complex carbohydrates, lean protein sources, and leafy, green vegetables. You should eat three tasty meals a day, and supplement with a couple of snacks. Additionally, you should focus on staying hydrated. Increasing your water intake one week before your race can help your body with hydration on the morning of, and during the run.

What to Eat The Night Before a 5k or Marathon

If your race time is early in the morning, the food you eat the night before will be crucial. While many people think carbohydrate loading the night before a race is a promising idea, it is not if you are running a 5k. If you are running a longer race, adding more carbs to your evening meal is smart, but a 5k runner needn’t go crazy with carbs.

The night before the race have a healthy, balanced dinner. It is best to aim for a vegetable-heavy plate, with a lot of green, leafy vegetables like spinach or kale. Add carbs to your dish with a sweet potato and don’t forget some protein. Add a moderate amount of lean meat or fish to your dinner. Six ounces is enough to leave you feeling full and satisfied.

What to Eat The Morning Of A 5k or Marathon

The morning of your 5K you will want to fill your tank and get ready to expend some serious energy. Experts suggest you stay on plan and avoid deviating too much from your typical eating pattern, but you will want to avoid foods that are hard to digest. Limit your intake of fat, protein, and fiber before the race; all can leave you feeling bloated and heavy. Instead, focus on whole-grain carbs and some sugar. The following meals are an option before the big run:

An English muffin with jelly or compote

A small bagel and a piece of fruit

Oatmeal with fruit and brown sugar (avoid pre-flavored oatmeal)

Low-fiber, low-sugar cereal with ½ cup of skim milk

Aside from what you eat, what you drink the morning of your race is essential, too. You don’t need to pound down fluids before a race; in fact, chugging water or sports drinks can leave you feeling sick to your stomach. Drink 8-20 ounces of water or sports drink if it is going to be hot, during your breakfast meal, which should be about 2 hours before your race. 20 minutes before the race, drink 10 more ounces of water or a sports drink. You can have coffee or tea if you typically drink these items before a run.

A small snack 20 minutes before the race is acceptable if you find yourself hungry but keep the snack light. Experts suggest animal crackers, a small banana or a handful of nuts to stave off hunger. These snacks will give you enough of a boost to get you through the race but won’t fill you up or upset your stomach.

Carb Load for Optimal Performance

In light of the low-carb craze, it's tempting to want to eschew starch in favor of lean proteins and vegetables. While these foods have a place in a balanced diet, it would be negligent to overlook the importance of carbohydrates in the runner's diet.

For the runner who is wondering what to eat before a 5K, researchers have determined that a daily average 5g-10g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight are ideal. The number jumps to 7g-12g in the 24 hours before the race. For a marathon, the number climbs to 10g-12g in the 48 hours before the race. To put it into perspective, that translates to 340g-680g of carbs for maintenance and 476g-816g for carb-loading purposes for a 150-pound person.

You may elect to dramatically cut fiber intake and graze on smaller portions to be kinder to your stomach before your race. Reach for 1 cup of pasta (35g of carbs) or enjoy a medium Russet (30g of carbs) or sweet potato (23g of carbs) to hit those goals.

Prevent Anemia

If you're a runner, there's a good chance that you're anemic and didn't even know it. If fatigue, dizziness, or shortness of breath has plagued you lately, a look at your blood serum levels of iron may in order: researchers recently discovered that from a random sample of runners, 56% were iron deficient.

An adult male needs 8mg of iron daily and a female needs 18mg, with a tolerable limit of 40mg daily. Fortunately, it's simple to improve iron levels with food. This critical mineral is found in white beans (8mg per cup), kale (1.1mg per cup) and of course, red meat (1.5mg per 3 oz sirloin).

And an added bonus of boosting your iron intake? Runners who were struggling with anemia went on to PR after they returned to normal levels.

Reduce Inflammation

Running can be tough on your joints and ligaments, but you can promotehealing by consuming foods that are rich in anti-inflammatory Vitamin D and Omega-3s. The recommended daily amount of Vitamin D for both men and women is 600IU. Vitamin D is abundant in milk (137IU per cup) and eggs (41IU each).

Focus on Calcium

It's no secret that calcium is the key to healthy bones, but many don't realize how prone runners are to stress fractures. The constant impact on pavement can take its toll, but calcium has been repeatedly shown to help aid in protecting runners from these injuries.

Ideally, calcium should come from food, but the occasional supplementation to meet the recommended targets may be necessary and beneficial. It can be found in a wide variety of delicious foods, making your 1000mg daily target a cinch. Dairy products (448mg per 1 cup of low-fat plain yogurt) and dark leafy greens (30mg per cup of raw spinach) are bountiful in this important mineral.

24-Hour Example Runner’s Meal Plan

In the days leading up to your race, be sure to eat an assortment of wholesome and nutritious foods. If you're still undecided on what to eat before a 5K or marathon, here is an easy and appetizing meal plan that can help you achieve that PR you've been longing for.

The proper diet can help save you from a multitude of running-related injuries as well as mental fatigue. A diet plentiful in tasty carbohydrates and essential vitamins and minerals can provide you with all of your necessary nutrients. Whether your goal is to hit a personal best or just to finish strong, if you're careful in choosing what to eat before a 5K or marathon, you'll hit those goals with a great sense of achievement and a smile on your face.

Whether you are running your very first race, or you are getting prepared for your 10th of the season, proper nutrition and figuring out what to eat before a 5k is a crucial component for success. Your diet and nutrition will be a deciding factor in your ability to run a solid race. Train well, eat well, and you are sure to perform well.

Running can be taxing on the body, which is why careful attention to a healthy diet is extra important. These articles can help you stay in peak training shape:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/transform-your-body-with-a-vegan-meal-plan2018-03-01T16:00:00-05:002018-04-29T17:56:44-04:00Transform Your Body as a Vegetarian with an Example Vegan Meal PlanKaryl Trejo
By definition, vegans eat zero animal products, including milk, eggs, and honey. If you want to incorporate more plant-based foods into your life and aren't sure where to start, a vegan meal plan can help you organize your next shopping trip. Focus on hitting all of your micronutrients, be smart about protein, and shy away from vegan junk food and you'll be fully prepared to transform your body with a delicious and healthy vegan diet. Try this example vegan meal plan!

If you love animals and have been thinking hard about their welfare, a vegan lifestyle may be a good fit for you. However, what if you didn't care for animals -- you just really hated plants and wanted to see them suffer? Either way, you may be a good candidate for veganism.

By definition, vegans eat zero animal products, including milk, eggs, and honey. If you want to incorporate more plant-based foods into your life and aren't sure where to start, a vegan meal plan can help you organize your next shopping trip. Focus on hitting all of your micronutrients, be smart about protein, and shy away from vegan junk food and you'll be fully prepared to transform your body with a delicious and healthy vegan diet.

Don't Become a "Junk Food" Vegan

The first thing out of anyone's mouth when you tell them you're going vegan is inevitably, "Where do you get your protein?" The second? "Hey, did you know that Oreos are vegan!" Here's the hard truth about vegan junk food, though: it's usually overpriced and a "vegan" label on something does not necessarily mean it's good for you.

Becoming vegan is a wonderful opportunity to try new recipes and learn about vegan substitutes. For instance, flax seed easily replaces eggs in baked goods and contains 1,600mg of Omega-3s per tablespoon. An adult male requires 1.1g per Omega-3s per day and an adult female needs 1.6g.

Learn About Amino Acids

Found in every single cell in your body, protein is the building block of all life. Unfortunately, most plant proteins have incomplete amino acid profiles. What is an aspiring vegan to do?

If you're careful to combine your proteins, you can successfully make a complete protein. For instance, legumes are a fantastic vegan protein source, but it's an incomplete protein. However, if you serve it with whole grain brown rice (another incomplete protein), you'll then have a complete protein.

Insufficient Vitamin B-12 is linked to pernicious anemia, a condition that causes dizziness, fainting, and chest pain. An adult needs 2.4mcg of this vitamin daily. It can be found in fortified soymilk (3mcg per cup) and fortified nutritional yeast (which provides 100% in just 3 tablespoons), which is known to lend delicious cheesy flavor to vegan recipes.

Iron is surprisingly easy to get in a vegan diet. An adult male needs just 8mg per day, but an adult female needs over double that at 18mg. Lentils (6.6mg per 1 cooked cup), blackstrap molasses (7mg per 2 tablespoons), and (happily!) dark chocolate (2mg per oz) all deliver ample iron.

Understanding your body's needs as a vegan can reduce any hiccups that can occur when first starting out with this new lifestyle. A well thought-out vegan meal plan with extra attention on a balanced diet can prevent dangerous nutritional deficiencies and transform your body to be leaner, healthier, and more vibrant in the long run.

Still exploring healthy diets to make the best choice for yourself? These ways of eating may be of interest to you:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/completely-gluten-free-meal-plans-that-are-effective2018-02-28T10:00:00-05:002018-05-03T00:52:24-04:00Completely Gluten-Free Meal Preps are Effective, with an Example Gluten Free Meal PlanKaryl Trejo
Whether you recently discovered you have celiac disease or you've read extensively about the dangers of this protein, going gluten free can a rewarding challenge. Creating a gluten free meal plan can help stave off cravings and remain strong next time a friend offers you one of her nana's homemade sugar cookies. Try this example Gluten Free Meal Plan!

Heaping plates of saucy spaghetti and freshly buttered garlic bread have no power over you. You turn your nose up at chocolate chip cookies and can walk past a bakery without batting an eye. You're gluten free, and you've made a commitment to your health that far exceeds the allure of this carb-laden poison.

Or, perhaps you're devastated because you just remembered that you're never again going to dive face first into a basket of breadsticks at an Italian restaurant because eating gluten sends you running to the bathroom with cramps.

Whether you recently discovered you have celiac disease or you've read extensively about the dangers of this protein, going gluten free can a rewarding challenge. Creating a gluten free meal plan can help stave off cravings and remain strong next time a friend offers you one of her nana's homemade sugar cookies.

Heal Your Body

Gluten is the protein that gives many grains -- including wheat, barley, and rye -- their chewy, dense texture. Unfortunately, for many people, it's also a potentially deadly poison. For those with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that currently affects 1% of the population, even trace amounts of this protein causes lasting damage.

Symptoms of gluten intolerance manifest as anemia, eczema, joint pain, fatigue, and irritable bowel syndrome. Over time, your small intestines may lose their ability to absorb vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, Vitamin D, phosphorous, folate, and Vitamin B-12 due to ongoing damage. The good news is that eliminating gluten from you diet will help your stomach heal, giving you an opportunity to recover from any deficiencies.

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Be Wary of Hidden Gluten

Gluten is sneaky; at a glance, it's easy to tell a loaf of bread has it. But did you realize that oats, beer, and even candy can have hidden gluten? When making a gluten free meal plan, be careful to read labels closely for key words that indicate that the product in question may be contaminated.

In the United States, oats are milled alongside other grains, so while oats by themselves typically are gluten free, the risk of cross-contamination is high. Unless clearly labeled as gluten free, beer also contains trace amounts of it. Even your favorite candies can have hidden gluten in it – red licorice and malted milk balls both contain wheat flour.

Save Money on Groceries

Sometimes you might miss your favorite foods, and occasionally splurging on a gluten free bagel topped with melted butter may be worth it. However, the gluten free counterparts to your favorite foods are often overpriced and unappetizing. Instead of throwing your money away on expensive parodies of your favorite gluten-based foods, save your hard-earned dollars by trying new recipes and learning new methods of cooking that don't rely on substitutes.

Example Gluten Free Meal Plan for 1 Day

A delicious and balanced gluten free meal plan doesn't have to be a chore. Many foods are naturally gluten free, allowing you to enjoy a diverse and nutritious diet without breaking the bank on unsatisfying gluten free knock-offs.

If you reach for foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, avoid fake gluten free substitutes, and navigate sneaky sources of gluten, you can devise a gluten free meal plan that allows you to heal your digestive system and bask in your new, healthier body.

Looking for other ways to cut junky carbs out of your diet? Look no further!

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/how-to-build-a-super-effective-paleo-meal-plan2018-02-27T15:00:00-05:002018-05-08T02:48:20-04:00How to Build a Super Effective Paleo Meal Plan with ExamplesKaryl TrejoIf you're looking to lose weight, clear your skin, and reverse your Type-2 diabetes, look no further than the Paleo Diet. Your ancient ancestors had it right – a diet high in animal proteins and vegetables and devoid of grains and dairy may be the best diet for health and fitness.

Based on the premise that humans should eat what our Neanderthal predecessors ate, the Paleo diet is summed up as a diet of meat (preferably organic and grass-fed), seafood, eggs, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats (including saturated animal fats). Foods that must be avoided include dairy, legumes (including peanuts), grains, processed vegetable oils, and refined sugars.

If you're looking for a diet that helps maximize health benefits, then a Paleo meal plan may be exactly what you're looking for.

If you're looking to lose weight, clear your skin, and reverse your Type-2 diabetes, look no further than the Paleo Diet. Your ancient ancestors had it right – a diet high in animal proteins and vegetables and devoid of grains and dairy may be the best diet for health and fitness.

Based on the premise that humans should eat what our Neanderthal predecessors ate, the Paleo diet is summed up as a diet of meat (preferably organic and grass-fed), seafood, eggs, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats (including saturated animal fats). Foods that must be avoided include dairy, legumes (including peanuts), grains, processed vegetable oils, and refined sugars.

If you're looking for a diet that helps maximize health benefits, then a Paleo meal plan may be exactly what you're looking for.

Keep It Simple

For those who are wondering what to eat on a Paleo meal plan, simplicity is key. A new lifestyle is more enjoyable when confusion isn't keeping you up at night. However, if you do slip up and find that you ate something that wasn't "Paleo approved," stressing out over it may very well be far worse for you than a rogue chickpea or hidden grain of rice.

Instead of relying on crutches like "Paleo" cookies and breads, throw the phony foods to the curb and create your Paleo meal plan around fresh, whole, and tasty foods that you can find in the outer perimeter of your grocery store. Stock up on meat, poultry (pro tip: chicken thighs are much more yummy than chicken breasts, and are typically cheaper, too!), and fish. Take a leisurely stroll around the produce department and fill your basket up with your favorite vegetables and fruits. If you're looking for a snack, almonds and hard-boiled eggs will hit the spot.

Enjoy Your Carbs

Some people mistakenly believe that the Paleo diet is a low-carbohydrate diet, but you can actually enjoy plenty of carbs in your Paleo meal plan as long as they come from the right source. Foods like sweet potatoes, fruits, and even other tubers are welcome. As long as your carbohydrates aren't grains, legumes, or refined sugars, you should be golden.

If you reach for fresh berries (a serving of strawberries contains 149% of your Vitamin C, 9% of your folate, 7% of your potassium, and 29% of your manganese) and even bananas (17% of Vitamin C, 22% of Vitamin B-6, 12% of potassium, and 16% of manganese in a medium banana), you'll quickly hit your RDAs of these essential vitamins and minerals.

Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in America, but research shows that the Paleo diet improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance while reducing insulin secretion. Even for just a short duration, and without exercise, the Paleo diet is beneficial.

Example Paleo Meal Plan for 1 Day

The Paleo diet is ideal for someone who wants to feel full, improve their health, and enjoy a cornucopia of delicious foods.

The Paleo diet has been shown to be more satisfying and satiating compared to other diets. Fruits and vegetables are naturally filling and nutritious, making it an all around win-win for your health and your taste buds. Enjoy a Paleo meal plan and reap all the benefits of improved health as well as a scrumptious diet that allows you to savor a diverse and palate-pleasing variety of foods.

The Paleo diet is fantastic for health and fitness! If you're looking for a diet with similar benefits, perhaps one that eliminates gluten or dairy, you may enjoy these articles:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/little-know-pescatarian-meal-plan-secrets2018-02-26T14:57:00-05:002018-05-06T03:35:56-04:00Little-known Pescatarian Meal Plan Secrets with ExamplesKaryl Trejo
If you have chosen to live a mostly-vegetarian lifestyle but found that something was missing, a pescatarian diet is a great way to find balance between your conscience and your health.

Whether you're looking to reduce your consumption of animals or you're a struggling vegetarian looking to add something back into your diet without becoming a full-blown omnivore, a pescatarian meal plan can help you transition into a healthier diet without adding unnecessary stress. Give it a try with this example pescatarian meal plan!

Is it a new type of dinosaur? A religious movement? While the word may seem like a mouthful, a "pescatarian" is simply someone who eats a mostly vegetarian diet but occasionally partakes in fish or seafood. If you have chosen to live a mostly-vegetarian lifestyle but found that something was missing, a pescatarian diet is a great way to find balance between your conscience and your health.

Whether you're looking to reduce your consumption of animals or you're a struggling vegetarian looking to add something back into your diet without becoming a full-blown omnivore, a pescatarian meal plan can help you transition into a healthier diet without adding unnecessary stress.

Stock Up On Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The benefits of a vegetarian diet are numerous; on average, vegetarians are 40% less likely to develop cancer compared to their omnivore counterparts. They're are also less likely to be at risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, gall and kidney stones, and osteoporosis.

Omega-3s are shown to reduce inflammation in the body, protect the heart, and improve the brain, and the recommended daily amount for an adult is between 1.2g-1.6g daily. Easy sources of this essential fatty acid are salmon (2.2g per 3oz), sardines (1.25g per 3oz), and oysters (0.63g per 3oz).

Salmon also has 164IU of Vitamin A (out of the 700IU-900IU daily amounts), 570IU of Vitamin D (an adult requires 600IU), 0.7mg of Vitamin B-6 (of the recommended 1.1mg-1.3mg), 0.44mg of iron (from the RDA of 8mg-18mg), 31mg of magnesium (from the 310mg-420mg daily requirements), and 0.47mg of zinc (of the advised 8mg-11mg).

Sardines pack a healthy punch, too, with 92IU of Vitamin A, 165IU of Vitamin D, 0.14mg of Vitamin B-6, 2.48mg of iron, 33mg of magnesium, and 1.1mg of zinc.

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Be Smart About Mercury

You've probably heard about the dangers of eating too much fish due to the high levels of mercury found in it. While your fears are founded, the risk of mercury poisoning is lower than you may think. Fish contains methylmercury, and over time, it can start to build up in the blood of people who eat too much of any fish with high concentrations of this neurotoxin.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning include muscle weakness, loss of peripheral vision, a "pins and needles" sensation in the hands and feet, speech and hearing impairment, and loss of coordination. To prevent it, choose fish that are lower in mercury and limit your consumption to 8-12 ounces per week. While anyone may be susceptible to mercury poisoning, those who are at the most risk are women who are breastfeeding or pregnant, and children.

The safest choices are anchovies, herring, cod, shrimp, and tilapia. These can enjoyed 2-3 times per week. If you have a craving for halibut, snapper, or albacore, try to limit it to just once a week. Completely abstain from shark, swordfish, and bigeye tuna, as they have the highest levels of mercury.

Be A Compassionate Consumer

Many people are vegetarian because they passionate about animal welfare and the environment. Pescatarians often feel the same way, which is why it's important to ensure that your fish comes from a sustainable source with minimal environmental impact.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium released a pamphlet that outlines the best and the worst fish to consume with regard to sustainability standards. The best seafood on the list includes catfish, oysters, and talapia (from the US, Peru, Equador, and Canada). Always avoid Atlantic cod, imported Mahi-Mahi, and bluefin tuna.

Example Pescatarian Meal Plan for 1 Day

If you already have a solid grasp on a vegetarian diet, transitioning over to a pescatarian diet is as simple as adding fish to your rotation once or twice a week.

An otherwise healthy diet is effortlessly improved by adding in a few extra portions of seafood. By including this vitamin and mineral rich source of Omega-3s in your pescatarian meal plan, you'll be able to thoroughly enjoy a diet that's both good tasting and good for you.

Eating a compassionate diet isn't just for your conscience; it's also fantastic for your health! Check out these other nutritious, thoughtful diets:

Setting aside just a few hours of your time each week for meal prepping will ensure you'll have a wide array of tasty foods to choose from for the rest of the week. Pack up your meal inspiration in glass meal prep containers and you'll be set. With the wide selection of satisfying and tasty foods on your MealPlanMagic custom plan, you'll crush your fitness goals with a smile on your face!

The old adage is true: you are what you eat. To be 100% lean awesomeness, check out these other articles:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/how-to-get-a-buzz-and-still-booze-on-a-diet2018-02-14T10:12:00-05:002018-05-04T02:31:25-04:00How To Get A Buzz And Still Booze On A DietKaryl Trejo
I’m going to let you in on a secret - you can drink alcohol and not ruin your training or diet. Happy hour can have its place in your meal plan, as long as you make smart choices.

I’m going to let you in on a secret - you can drink alcohol and not ruin your training or diet. Happy hour can have its place in your meal plan, as long as you make smart choices.

Alcohol (By Itself) Doesn't Make You Fat

To fully understand how each type of alcoholic beverage impacts your health and nutrition goals, it’s important to know how your body processes alcohol. Alcohol isn’t metabolized by your digestive system like food is, but rather goes through a series of stages taking part in your liver and kidneys. Because of this,alcohol in its pure form cannot easily be stored as fat.

However,alcohol also blocks the oxidation of fatby up to 70%, which means that dietary fat consumed while drinking will easily convert to stored fat, and your body will stop burning its fat stores for fuel. This is because your body will preferentially use the alcohol as fuel over the fat, carbs and protein you’re actually eating. So, until you’ve stopped drinking, you’ll be storing most of what you eat and your body’s fat burning power will come to a halt.

Though your body burns it for fuel, alcohol doesn’t count toward your macros for the day. When tracking alcoholic beverages or accounting for them in yourmeal planning tool, you don’t need to track the actual grams of alcohol, as these won’t be stored. Of course, you should remember to count the sugar and macronutrients from any other ingredients in the drink.

How Drinking Can Screw Up Your Training

Aside from the short-term metabolic effects of drinking alcohol you experience while drinking, you may want to consider the impact on training overall. Studies have indicated that moderate alcohol intake canreduce levels of testosteroneover time.

As is to be expected, higher levels of alcohol consumption also impact testosterone. A study out of the University of Helsinki noted that binge drinking not only decreased testosterone production by 23% between 10 and 16 hours after drinking started, but that levels of cortisol increased by 36% in that window—not the best conditions for building muscle!

The Best Way To Drink

So, what are the best forms of alcohol to drink to meet your fitness goals? If your aim is to build muscle and decrease fat, you should stick to light beer, very dry wines or hard alcohols, and enjoy them served without sugary mixers.

BEER

Heavy beers should generally be avoided, as the carb count of beer tends to be quite high. If you really can’t live without this brew, light beers and those marketed as “low-carb” are the best options for staying on track with your fitness plan.

WINE

While some wines are incredibly sweet and high in sugar, there are plenty that are perfectly acceptable to drink while still meeting your fitness goals. Though many people assume white wine contains more sugar than red wine, this isn’t true. Instead of focusing on the type of wine, look instead at how dry the wine is. Typically, dry wines have less than 1 gram of sugar per ounce, while sweet wines may have more than twice that amount.

Serving Suggestion: It's easy to want to turn a blind eye to a pour of wine and pretend it's just a couple ounces, but for the devout calorie counter, consider investing in a wine glass that shows the calorie counts on the side. Pour to the designated line to take guesswork out of keeping track. Whether you're just having a sip (2 oz) or you're feeling a little more generous tonight (6 oz), this glass can help keep you accountable!

HARD ALCOHOL

In terms of hard liquor, the color doesn’t really matter. Contrary to popular belief, dark liquors do not actually contain any more sugar or carbohydrates than clear liquors. Of course, this only applies to the alcohol in its pure form. Flavored alcohols and mixed drinks can pack in between 18 - 60g of sugar, in just one serving.

If you don’t want to drink your liquor neat or up, mixing with seltzer water or club soda and a squeeze of lemon or lime is your best bet. Though tonic water closely resembles club soda, it actually contains 32g of sugar per can, and is best avoided when trying to stay on track.

Mixers matter not only in terms of nutrition, but also in how they impact your drinking experience. Carbonated mixershave been shown in studiesto increase the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into your blood stream, so you'll feel drunker faster than you would consuming the same drink with a flat mixer. The type of liquor doesn't matter in terms of effect while drinking, though there is slight evidence that suggests certain compounds in whiskey may mitigate the onset of hangover symptoms the next day.

Overall, it’s important to remember that one night a week of consuming two to three drinks won’t ruin your progress, and thatsticking to your meal planthe rest of the week is far more important for meeting your goals.

Watching your waistline doesn't have to be all about deprivation! You can enjoy delicious foods and shed fat, too. To learn more about how to find balance, try out these articles:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/get-your-knife-skills-right-how-to-weekly-meal-prep-like-a-professional-chef2018-02-13T10:12:00-05:002018-04-28T01:31:48-04:00Get Your Knife Skills Right! How To Weekly Meal Prep Like A Professional ChefKaryl Trejo
You are what you eat. You've heard that so many times it's burned into your brain. The myriad of benefits of a balanced diet—from helping you get in better shape by meeting nutritional macros to simply helping you slim down or build muscle—are numerous. That's why eating well is one of the most important things that you do for yourself.

You are what you eat. You've heard that so many times it's burned into your brain. The myriad of benefits of a balanced diet—from helping you get in better shape by meeting nutritional macros to simply helping you slim down or build muscle—are numerous. That's why eating well is one of the most important things that you do for yourself.

If you want to eat fresh, healthy food, you must do some of the work yourself. Cooking your own meals does take time, but there are ways to cut down on how many hours you spend in the kitchen. One of the best ways is to work on your knife skills so food prep doesn’t take so long. Use this guide to help you sharpen your knife skills so you’re more efficient.

Hold Your Knife Properly

The way you hold your knife plays a huge part in how efficient you are when chopping, slicing and dicing. Here are the two most common ways to hold a knife. Experiment with both and see which is most comfortable for you. A lot of it depends on how comfortable you are with a knife, and your preferred grip might change as you spend more time in the kitchen.

Handle Grip. For the perfect handle grip, you want all of your fingers behind the bolster -- that piece of metal that separates the handle from the blade. Grab the knife and tuck all four of your fingers behind your thumb. Your thumb should be pressed up against the bolster to make sure you have control of the knife.

Most cooks prefer their knuckles under the knife pointing down at the cutting board and the handle pressed firmly again the middle of their palm. If you’re new to working in the kitchen, this is probably the best grip for you. The handle grip also works exceptionally well for individuals with smaller hands.

Blade Grip. Experienced and professional chefs usually opt for this grip. It might seem awkward at first, but in time, it will give you the most control and speed when using your knife. Try the blade grip by putting your pinky, ring and middle finger under the handle with your ring finger close to the bolster. Place the pad of your thumb on the back of the knife and curl your index finger so the tip isn’t near the blade on the other side of the knife. This position allows you to make precision cuts, but make sure that index finger doesn’t slip or move around too much. Start slow when using this grip for the first time.

Get The Right Knife For The Job

If you want to be efficient in the kitchen,you need the right knife for the job.Individuals buying from scratch should focus on getting a quality eight-inch chef’s knife, serrated bread knife, paring knife and a slicing knife. The best knives are the ones made with high-quality steel and a firm handle.

Look for versions that have the blade running though the knife, from the handle to the tip of the blade. Start your knife collection with quality pieces that can be sharpened and maintained instead of tossed when they get old. You also want to look for a knife that seems balanced in your hand. One that's too top-heavy or too light can make kitchen prep less efficient.

Buy Quality Cutting Boards

The cutting board you use to slice, dice and chop matters. After all, cutting boards all do the job of helping you avoid slicing up your counter tops. Some of the cutting boards marketed to consumers, like those made out of glass, marble or other off-the-wall materials just don’t perform as efficiently as tried and true professional materials.

The preferred material of professional chefs might surprise you. Most pros simply want a durable plastic cutting board that’s easy to clean and stands up to regular abuse. The other great thing about plastic is that it won’t slip as easily as wood will. That’s good for your fingers and for making effortless precision cuts.

To get the most out of your time in the kitchen, you need basic skills and a balanced meal plan. You’ll have to work on those knife skills alone, butMeal Plan Magiccan help create your own custom menu, evaluate your nutrition goals, help you hit essential macros and more

Achieving knife mastery can help you streamline your meal prep process. These articles can help you sharpen (ba-dum-tish!) your skills:

Purdy, Kevin; The Best Cutting Board; The Sweethome; accessed April 2, 2016http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-cutting-board/

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/five-surprising-benefits-of-meal-planning2018-02-11T16:04:00-05:002018-05-02T19:39:56-04:00Five Surprising Benefits Of Meal PlanningKaryl Trejo
Want to lose a few pounds and eat healthier? If so, start planning your meals! This will increase your chances to stick to your diet and help you cut costs. Not only will you shed that last bit of fat, but also have more time for yourself. The benefits of meal planning go beyond weight loss. It's one of the best things you can do for improving your health and staying organized.

Want to lose a few pounds and eat healthier? If so, start planning your meals! This will increase your chances to stick to your diet and help you cut costs. Not only will you shed that last bit of fat, but also have more time for yourself. The benefits of meal planning go beyond weight loss. It's one of the best things you can do for improving your health and staying organized.

So, are you ready to give it a try? Here are five surprising benefits of meal planning:

Achieve Your Fitness Goals

Whether you want to lose weight or gain muscle and strength, meal planning is essential to your success. This habit will help you stay on track with your diet and achieve your goals in a timely manner.

Eat Better, Spend Less

By planning your meals, you'll save money in the long run. Make a shopping list, buy everything you need, and cook your meals for the week. This way, you'll know exactly what you need and how much it costs. If you stick to your list, you can save hundreds of dollars a week.

Save Time

When you have your menus planned out, you don’t have to cook every day and waste time trying to figure out what to make for lunch or dinner. If you're short on time or hate cooking, try easy recipes that don't require a lot of prep work.

Helpful Tip: If you work long days and don't have the luxury of time to linger over the stove, a slow cooker just may be your new best friend! Set it before work and come home to a healthy and delicious meal waiting for you!

Meal planning is the best way to keep your loved ones healthy. It also helps teach children about good nutrition. The whole family can benefit from eating well-planned, nutritious meals.

Reduce Waste

By cooking your meals ahead of time, you'll reduce waste and have fewer leftovers. In general, people buy more food than they actually need. The leftovers end up getting thrown out. If you stick to your plan, every product purchased will be going towards a healthy meal that supports your goals.

If you're just getting started and still have questions, these helpful articles can help you get off on the right foot:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/the-12-guidelines-for-an-accurate-meal-plan2018-02-11T16:02:00-05:002018-05-11T02:43:53-04:00The 12 Guidelines For An Accurate Meal PlanKaryl Trejo
Everyone's body is different, which is why there is no universal diet. In order to truly know what your body responds to, it's important to try a meal plan for two weeks, track your metrics, and adjust from there. MealPlanMagic will recommend meal macros and daily calorie goals as guidelines for you to build your meal plan based on the following information that you populate:

Everyone's body is different, which is why there is no universal diet. In order to truly know what your body responds to, it's important to try a meal plan for two weeks, track your metrics, and adjust from there. MealPlanMagic will recommend meal macros and daily calorie goals as guidelines for you to build your meal plan based on the following information that you populate:

Getting started on a meal plan from MealPlanMagic is a cinch! We take the guesswork out of it, saving you both time and money.

Helpful Tip: Before you get started, it's a smart idea to have a general understanding of your health, weight, and fitness goals. A good place to start is to know your body fat so you keep track of your progress.

You can use calipers, but they can be tricky for an amateur. Another fantastic and reliable measure is a bioimpedance (bioelectric impedance analysis) scale. Simply hop on and it'll read back your body fat percentage back to you.

As your health improves, you can compare it to your baseline to keep tabs on your success. There's really nothing more rewarding than tangible evidence of your hard work paying off!

You can spend hundreds of dollars on custom meal plans, or do exactly the same thing yourself with MealPlanMagic. If you already have a meal plan, you can even enter that in as your starting point to see how it stacks up. From there, you can tweak and modify it to get the results you're after. Remember, what gets monitored gets managed! Give it a try and let us know if you have any questions!

Are you ready to get started on meal planning but still have questions about where to begin? Don't fret -- we've got you covered!

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/what-if-i-already-have-a-custom-meal-plan2018-02-11T16:01:00-05:002018-05-09T14:37:08-04:00What If I Already Have A Custom Meal Plan?Karyl Trejo

No problem! It's easy to enter your existing custom meal plans into MealPlanMagic to bring them to life. In fact, this was the entire basis for why this template was invented.

The easier it is to implement your meal plan, the more likely you will be to follow it and succeed -- And that's what we want!

A daily breakdown of the meal macros

Printable reports including beautiful daily and weekly summaries

Grocery lists that account for the change in weight of food when cooked so you always buy the right amount -- no more and no less.

Food Prep summaries that aggregate the food you need to cook for the days you need it. Take the math and guesswork out of the kitchen! Just pick the days you're cooking for and know exactly how much to prepare.

Learn how your custom meal plan stacks up to your body metrics. When it comes time to change your goals, you'll know where to tweak and will see the effects in real time!

Buy on Amazon

Meal planning and prepping doesn't need to be painful. That's where MealPlanMagic comes in. Give it a try!

Confused? Don't worry! We've got the answers to your questions.

Are you ready to get started with meal planning? We have a bounty of tips and tricks and helpful information at your disposal! Whether you have a fully stocked kitchen and are itching to get started or you're just starting to build up your inventory of tools for meal planning success, we'll help guide you every step of the way.

To learn more about the most essential tools that you'll need, check this article out:

We're experts when it comes to meal planning so you don't have to waste your time worrying or stressing about it.

The best time to get started was yesterday. The second best time is today —get started now!

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/breakfast-options-that-taste-great2018-02-11T15:56:00-05:002018-04-28T01:49:05-04:00Breakfast Options That Taste GreatKaryl Trejo
Breakfast! The one word that starts your day, but most people can't figure out how to do. Let's take a look at some delicious breakfast recipes and how they can be easy to make and give you the nutritional value we put so much emphasis on.

Breakfast! The one word that starts your day, but most people can't figure out how to do. Let's take a look at some delicious breakfast recipes and how they can be easy to make and give you the nutritional value we put so much emphasis on.

OMELETS

Eggs alone are an easy way to get protein, but omelets can give you so much more! Let’s look at one of my favorite recipes.

Spinach and Parmesan Omelet

This omelet packs a punch with spinach, scallions, and parmesan and is simple to make.

Spinach

Spinach is an amazing source of potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and folate. According to medicalnewstoday.com spinach is great for skin, hair, and bone health, improving blood glucose for diabetics, lowering the risk of cancer and asthma, and lowering your blood pressure.

In other words this dude... knew what he was doing.

Omelets can be made using 2 eggs (I mix one egg white and one whole egg), 1/4 cup spinach, 2 tablespoons of scallions, 1 tablespoon of parmesan.

Scallions

This onion may not look like very much, but it helps with a lot of health issues, according to the San Francisco Chronicle scallions help with bone, eye, heart, and immune system health. They also add great flavor to the omelet.

Parmesan

This cheese may just look good on pasta when grated but alone it’s not only packed with protein but a solid source of calcium.

Eggs

The star of the show! Eggs, according to WebMD are packed with disease-fighting nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin. These crazy words just mean that they help slow down the macular degeneration -- otherwise known as "blindness".

Basically, this omelet kills it in the breakfast category. If you’re someone that has little time to get everything together in the AM, I suggest you prep the night before. Cut up the veggies and place them in a Ziploc bag and place them right in the freezer. They’ll be fresh and ready to cook while you’re fighting the morning grogginess.

Parfaits

Simply stated, parfait means a “dessert consisting of layers of ice cream, fruit, etc., served in a tall glass”. So basically you’re having dessert for breakfast!

Yogurt and Fruit Parfait

Yogurt parfaits can be made with 1 cup of yogurt, 1 cup of the fruit of your choice, and 1 tablespoon of granola.

Yogurt

This is the current reigning “cool kid” of the dairy aisle in your local grocery store. Yogurt in its many forms comes to the rescue when your digestive tract is having issues. Turns out yogurt contains “good” bacteria that can act as a probiotic. Meaning your tummy will thank you later.

Fruit

So delicious, yet so hard to choose which one to add to your yogurt parfait. Truth is, go with any one! My go-to yogurt additions are berries and bananas. Berries, according toHealth Magazine,are filled with so many health benefits that it would take pages and pages to list. So we’ll just highlight an important few. Berries can help you with chronic diseases, including cancer. Strawberries and blueberries bring an added value ofreducing your risk of having a heart attack. Bananas are actually the fruit heaviest in calories and carbohydrates, but it’s the good kind! Medical News Today confirms that this super fruit can help with lowering the risk of cancer and asthma, as well as help lower your blood pressure, improve your hearts health, and (just like yogurt) works as a probiotic.

Granola

This grain gets a bad rap. When you think granola, you think hippy, yoga, organic, and tons of calories. But really, it’s a great addition to a yogurt parfait. When you have a mix of yogurt and fruit, you want a bit of crunch. When having granola you want to choose something with oats and nuts, because it will give you a heart healthy source of good fat!

Spoon your parfait into a cute mason jar for an easy grab-and-go option!

Yogurt parfaits are an awesome choice for those of you on the run or would rather take your breakfast on the go. I don’t know about you, but some cold yogurt with fresh fruit tastes amazing on a summer morning.

OVERNIGHT OATS

This breakfast choice has an oatmeal base on top of which you can add anything you want to make for a delicious mix that can be made ahead of time. This is my personal go-to in the morning so I will share my favorite recipe.

Overnight Oats

This is incredibly easy to do and can be made for the week (5 days) ahead. I include 1 cup of oats, 1 cup greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 2 teaspoons of chia seeds, 1 cup of Almond milk. I top mine off with strawberries or bananas, but you choose your favorite fruits and go with it.

Oatmeal

If you read Your Plate and You you will remember that oatmeal is great source of fiber and helps with lowering your cholesterol. This makes a great base to your morning meal.

Chia Seeds

Good things come in small packages and Chia seeds prove the statement to be true. WebMD states this edible Mexican seed produced from the Salvia hispanica desert plant is great with preventing hunger and giving your body strength. This small seed is also an amazing source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium. Small portion, big benefits!

Almond Milk

Though this is not milk and it doesn’t pretend to have all the same benefits as the calcium rich original, it does pack a ton of benefits. Almond milk is only 60 calories as opposed to regular whole milk which can be upwards of 146 calories per serving.

Your skin loves this dairy substitute because it contains 50 percent of your daily recommended amount of vitamin E. On top of all that, it contains a substantial amount of B vitamins, like iron and riboflavin, which help promote muscle growth. Don’t be afraid to try it! Many brands offer flavored versions if you’re feeling hesitant to replace the tried and true Milk.

Peanut Butter

This isn’t just for your packed lunch! Peanut butter mixes very well with oatmeal, milk, and fruit. Trust me on this, it will be delicious! Why add peanut butter when you have yogurt, almond milk, and chia seeds? Well, this childhood favorite spread helps with weight loss because it has a great combination of fiber and protein which means it fills you up, fast.

Prevention.com states that it’s packed with vitamins E and B6, magnesium, and potassium. With those vitamins in the mix, you have help with bone and muscle growth, boost your immunity, and prevention against heart disease, and diabetes!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and yet the most difficult to decide on. My suggestion to you is to take a look at your week ahead. Do you have time to make a quick meal in the morning before you start your day? Make yourself an omelet. Are you more of a “grab and go” type of person? Then take a night and prep, make all your parfaits or overnight oats and keep them in your fridge where you can grab them on your way out the door. Whatever it is, choose your first meal of the day wisely and your body and mind will thank you for it! Eating the same breakfast over and over is not a bad thing, as long as you eat it and stick to it!

Looking for more quick and easy recipes for your on the go lifestyle? Look no further!

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/how-to-build-your-plate-for-your-body2018-02-11T15:54:00-05:002018-05-04T02:15:47-04:00How To Build Your Plate For Your BodyKaryl Trejo
You have officially decided that you're going to make yourself a priority. You have made the choice that your health is important and you want to start or continue to make the right choices. That's the easy part; understanding and actually committing to your health is the hard part. Since you've come to MealPlanMagic.com then clearly you're ready.

You have officially decided that you're going to make yourself a priority. You have made the choice that your health is important and you want to start or continue to make the right choices. That's the easy part; understanding and actually committing to your health is the hard part. Since you've come toMealPlanMagic.com,then clearly you're ready.

I once had a doctor tell me "do yourself a favor, have dude food for breakfast and lunch, and for dinner have something small and sensible".

Now "dude food" is not a medical term, but what he meant was make the earlier meals in the day more filling. It will not only keep you full, but satisfy your nutritional needs and keep your desire to snack at bay.

Figuring out what to eat is difficult and can be a daunting task when you're hungry. So let’s take a look at every meal individually to see how to get your much needed daily nutritional intake.

BREAKFAST

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and though I'm sure you've heard it a million times, it's true. That being said, before you grab that bagel or smoothie think about if it has what it takes to take you through to lunch.

What you want for breakfast is the perfect combination of good carbs, fiber, and protein.Health Magazinehas a great list of breakfast choices. Healthmentions oatmeal as a top choice, and I agree. Oatmeal is packed with fiber and as the container notes it’s packed with beta-gluten which is often used to help with high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, and HIV & AIDS. Oatmeal is also packed with omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium, and according to the Mayo Clinic you should be getting 1.6 grams of Omega 3s, and 1.5g of folate.

Serving Suggestion: Oatmeal has a bad rap and has been compared unfavorably to "wallpaper paste" -- not so! It's a blank slate for a healthy and delicious start to your day. Add sliced bananas and a spoonful of peanut butter for a hearty, stick-to-your ribs kind of breakfast, or go wild with diced strawberries and a sprinkle of dark chocolate chips! If you follow a template of fruit + healthy fat (blueberries and almonds, anyone?), you'll find that oatmeal is the furthest thing from boring!

Keep in mind this is all you will consume before you even mix in your choice of water or milk! Adding milk gives you your recommended dairy intake, add some bananas and there's fruit! You're already starting your day off right and all it takes is less than 5 ingredients and 5 minutes.

LUNCH

For lunch let’s not go with a typical choice of salad; it’s not everyone’s favorite and that’s not all you have to eat if you’re eating well. A go-to site for me isEatingWell.comit has great options for anyone looking for a recipe that won’t pack on the calories, but will keep you satisfied.

A Mediterranean wrap sounds like exactly what I want to eat at lunch. This recipe contains a wrap (spinach or sun dried tomato) filled with chicken tenders, couscous, lemon, and mixed vegetables. When you hear chicken tenders, don’t think chain restaurant, think grilled or baked chicken. You'll want to stay away from fried foods. The wrap is great source of grains, but pay attention to the fat and sugar content, the lower the better.

Chicken will provide you with tons of protein. The USDA recommends 3-5 ounces of lean meats, poultry, or fish. One 3-oz piece of grilled chicken contains 26.6 grams of protein, which is exactly what you need to keep you going past that notorious 4 pm slump. Adding couscous to this wrap is a great idea, because it provides you with good carbohydrates which are filled with fiber (good for the digestive tract).

The vegetables in this recipe are cucumber and tomato, which are classic Greek ingredients, both are also great sources for vitamin C and Potassium. Cucumbers are also providers of vitamins K and B, Copper, Potassium, and manganese; while tomatoes are a great source for vitamin A, Calcium, and Lycopene (according to Tomatofest.com, Lycopene is taken to prevent prostate cancer and cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia).

DINNER

For dinner, remember you want to go with something light and sensible. Fish is always a great choice! It is not only easy to cook, but it's also so very good for you. Fitness Magazine has a delicious recipe for Ancho-Glazed Salmon and Sweet Potato fries that you do not have to be an award winning chef to make.

The recipe takes 20 minutes and all you need is salt, cumin, chili powder, two sweet potatoes, and olive oil -- not much to it! Remember from our lunch data, USDA recommends 3oz of fish, and 3oz of salmon contains 29g of protein, which is a perfect way to end the day. Sweet Potatoes are a good source of carbohydrates which means you’ve got protein and good carbohydrates in your last meal of the day!

There is a lot of information here, but there are a few things to remember; start your morning with a breakfast packed with grains, fruits, and dairy, fill your lunch with good grains, protein, and fiber, and at dinner opt for something light and easy with a good mix of vegetables and protein.

Your plate should be a reflection of how you want to feel. If your plate is filled with fatty and fried foods, you will most likely finish feeling grossly full and guilty. If your plate is covered in greens, protein, and a great mix of your daily recommended nutritional intake you’re going to feel satisfied, energized, happy, and proud of yourself for sticking to your healthy choices!

Whether you're just starting out or you've already picked up some skills along the way, these articles can help any questions you may have about healthy meal planning:

A plateau is... "a state of little or no change following a period of activity or progress." A plateau is also what makes us want to give up and stop diet and exercise altogether!

But don't -- there are ways to help you get out of your weight loss slump!

There are fitness gurus out there, like famed trainer Jillian Michaels, that believe what you're going through is not permanent, but more of a short 2-3 week lag in your fitness journey.

According to Michaels, what's going on is that you've been so good at keeping up with your diet and exercise that your body has become accustomed to it and will maintain itself at a healthy weight. All you have to do is continue on with your healthy lifestyle until this period of lag is over or you can take a few steps to kick start your weight loss up again.

1. KEEP TRACK OF CALORIES

Sometimes when you're eating right, exercising regularly, and getting pretty close to your goal weight, you give yourself a break (on occasion). You say things like "I've been good I can treat myself" -- and by all means, yes you can have a cheat meal once a week; in fact it's recommended to help kick start your metabolism -- but when you give yourself a treat one too many times, it may hinder that weight loss. Keeping track of your calories will help you see if your treats are causing you more harm than good.

Helpful Tip: Did you know that you may be inadvertently sabotaging your weight loss by "eyeballing" your portions? Sure, a cup of cherry tomatoes is more or less a mere 25 calories. But if you're off even a few grams in weighing peanut butter or olive oil or almonds, you could be consuming a whopping 50+ calories or more unintentionally! Measuring cups are no match for a kitchen scale for accuracy; weigh all of your foods (at least your calorie dense ones!) to help you stay on track.

2. HOW MUCH WEIGHT ARE YOU TRYING TO LOSE?

If you are someone that is looking to lose 50 pounds or more, then this is not your issue. You can move right along to number 3. If you're looking to lose 10-15lbs, this is what's called vanity weight: it means you're not obese, but basically just trying to look better naked. Your body doesn't think it needs to lose the weight. It already thinks you're a healthy human as you are, so it will be a bit more stubborn when it comes to shedding the last few pounds.

I bet I know what you’re doing: you’re cutting calories and hitting the gym harder, but what your body is doing is slowing down your metabolism. Your body is going into starvation mode meaning it will hold on to anything it has to keep you alive.

Don't stressout, what you have to do is keep a calorie count and not let yourself fall below 1200 calories at any point. Instead, Michaels' method suggest you increase your calorie intake up to 2400 for 3 days (and three days only!).

That sounds like an insane amount of additional calories, but remember that it's just 3 days only! Once you hit the three day mark, go back to the 1200-1500 calorie levels you're used to. You should see a difference shortly after.

3. CHANGE YOUR WORKOUT

You have been so great with your workout routine and diet plans that your body thinks this is easy. You're no longer struggling in those training sessions, you're no longer craving those cheat meals, basically, you got this!

...But actually you don’t.

What you’re not realizing is that BECAUSE your body is used to the diet and exercise you provide it, it’s basically just sitting back and relaxing. It doesn’t have to do any more work than it’s used to and it’s not any more or less hungry than it usually is.

Here is where you need to step up your workouts. Whatever weight you’re currently lifting, add 5lbs. However long your cardio is, add another 15-20 minutes. If you’re an elliptical loyalist, take a spin class or use the treadmill. If you’re just a weight lifter, add some cardio. Basically what I’m saying is, mix it up and (yes) your body will be sore, but it will react and you will see a change.

4. DRINK MORE WATER

It’s really very simple. Water can curb your appetite, help burn more calories, and increase your metabolism. The American College of Sports Medicine spells out nicely. Basically, your muscles need adequate hydration before your exercise; and after you exercise, your body needs to refuel what it sweat out.

So drink more water, but don’t be dramatic. Six to eight glasses of water a day is just right.

5. HORMONE IMBALANCE

If you are actually a fitness superstar and are counting your calories, trying to lose more than just vanity weight, have kicked up your workout, and you're actually drinking 8 glasses of water a day... well then you may consider getting yourself over to an endocrinologist, because you may have a hormone imbalance. Some types of imbalances include a thyroid disorder, insulin resistance, or polycystic ovary syndrome.

Listen to your body, if you’re doing all you can and your body is not reacting, it’s trying to tell you, “Help me, something is wrong!”

A plateau doesn’t always have to be a moment of discouragement. Use it to your advantage to try something new, and your body will thank you!

Are you ready to buckle down and get serious about losing weight? These informative articles will shed light on shedding fat!

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/are-you-being-fooled-by-salads2018-02-11T15:47:00-05:002018-05-02T00:37:23-04:00Are You Being Fooled By Salads?Karyl Trejo
Salad’s popularity is skyrocketing. I was recently in New York City and saw a different salad shop on every block: Just Salad, Chop’t, Fresh & Co., Beans & Greens, Sweetgreen, Mulberry & Vine…

Salad’s popularity is skyrocketing. I was recently in New York City and saw a different salad shop on every block:Just Salad, Chop’t, Fresh & Co., Beans & Greens, Sweetgreen, Mulberry & Vine…

Just look at this:

As people become increasingly health conscious, the words “I think I’ll have a salad for lunch” are said more and more each day. Salads are a great way to eat healthy and fill yourself up with less calories. But here’s the thing: most salads are a trap.

Contrary to popular belief, salads are not a no-brainer. Most salads are either doing too much or not enough. I want to give you some tips to plan and create salads that work for you. It’s not enough for salads to make usfeelhealthy; they should help usbe healthy. Plus, with these tips your salad will taste great too!

Proper Proportions

Let’s start with some simple math. Don’t worry; we’re just working with estimates.

55% -- Your green, leafy base should only make up a little over half of your salad. 30% -- A nice variety of veggies should make up the other bulk of your salad. 6% -- To make a meal out of your salad, you’ll need to add protein.4% -- Fruits are a great addition to any salad, but they bring a lot of sugar with them.4% -- Fun toppings like nuts and seeds should accentuate, not overpower.1% -- With a properly diverse salad, you’ll find that a little dressing goes a long way.

Helpful Tip: Nuts, seeds, and salad dressing make for a delicious salad topper, but they're incredibly calorie dense and can add up quickly! Use a kitchen scale to ensure accuracy and avoid accidentally overpowering your salad with these toppings.

That’s 100% of a tasty and nutritious salad. If you’re not a numbers person, don’t worry about it. These are just loose guidelines and I go into a lot more details below.

Avoid Iceberg Lettuce

Iceberg lettuce has a longstanding reputation as the premiere filler ingredient in salad. I’ve seen “salads” made up of only iceberg lettuce and fatty dressing. But here’s the scoop (or fork-full, let’s say): Iceberg lettuce, much like an actual iceberg, is mostly just water. The amount of vitamins and fiber in this lettuce is negligent.

Serving Suggestion: Nobody wants to eat their delicious salad out of a thimble! Stock up on oversized bowls and fill them to the brim with dark, leafy greens and other fresh produce.

Instead, load up your salad with darker greens.Kaleis one of the most popular superfoods of the decade, and for good reason. Unlike iceberg lettuce, kale is chockfull of Vitamins A, C and K. It’s also a great source of iron, magnesium, calcium, folate, and potassium. Spinach, arugula, romaine lettuce, and basil leaves are other great substitutes for iceberg lettuce.

Don’t Forget The Protein

I see so many people opt for salad because they’re trying to eat healthier or get “beach body ready”. First of all, you’re always beach body ready! Confidence and self-love is always sexy. But if you’re looking to drop some pounds or add a little chisel to your frame, you’ll want protein.

Everyone knows protein builds muscle, but it also helps you shed that extra weight. Protein helps youfeel fuller, longer. So you’ll be less likely to crave that snack a couple hours after lunch. Additionally, your body uses more calories to break down protein than other foods like carbs. And here’s a real surprise:The British Journal of Nutritionpublished a study that showed eating protein reduces weight regain! That’s right, if you’ve succeeded in dropping some extra pounds, eating protein will help keep that weight away.

So let’s put some protein in that salad. It’s important to remember though, not all protein is created equal. If you’re craving meat, be sure to take the skin of your turkey and chicken, or consider using fish. Avoid bacon. If you want to keep your salad meat-free, beans and egg whites are a great source of protein. My personal favorite protein-packed addition to any salad is a three-quarters cup of chickpeas (the main ingredient of hummus). Yum!

A Little Bit Goes A Long Way

This slogan is not about vegetables. By all means, chop up all the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and red onions you desire! (When people tell you that a great salad has many colors, they’re talking about the vegetables.)

There are a lot of classic salad ingredients that are admittedly delicious, but often overused. Try to limit yourself to just a tablespoon or two of cheese and salad dressing. If cutting back on salad dressing is proving difficult, try squeezing a little lemon or lime on your dish. 1/4th cup of croutons is plenty – they’re just empty carbs (and carrots are a great alternative crunch). One tablespoon of walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds is a great way to add something special to your salad. Whiledried cranberriesare a decent source of potassium, the only other thing they add to your salad is sugar.

Finally, Fruits

Fruits work wonders in salad! Because the sweet flavor *pops* in a salad, a little bit of fruit goes a long way. Plus, because most fruits are deliciously juicy, adding a little fruit makes it easier to cut back on unhealthy salad dressing.

Fruits are sweet because of their high concentration of glucose, AKA sugar. This is the main reason we don’t want to overdo it. That said, the health benefits of fruit are undeniable. Berries, oranges, grapes are great sources of antioxidants – which help our body fend of diseases and cancers by boosting our immune system. Bananas are a great source of potassium and Vitamin B6. Melons tend to be an amazing source of Vitamin A, and everyone knows oranges as a beloved source of Vitamin C.

So that’s it! You’re a salad professional now. Help yourself and help your friends avoid The Salad Trap. (Soon you may even find yourself the star of a post on the popular Women Laughing Alone With Salad blog.)

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/womens-health-clean-eating-strategies-for-hormonal-balance2018-02-11T15:43:00-05:002018-05-01T02:14:10-04:00Women's Health: Clean Eating Strategies For Hormonal BalanceKaryl Trejo
Of all the intricate and interconnecting components that comprise the biology of the human body, perhaps none suffers a worse rap than hormones.

Especially among women, hormones get blamed for myriad issues, problems and conditions—both real and presumed.

Of all the intricate and interconnecting components that comprise the biology of the human body, perhaps none suffers a worse rap than hormones.

Especially among women, hormones get blamed for myriad issues, problems and conditions—both real and presumed.

Not processing food like you used to? Blame your hormones. Acting short-tempered during your menstrual cycle? Your hormones are out of whack. Feeling hot flashes followed by cold flushes? What else could it be but the Battle of the Hormones?

So how do you tame hormones—those chemical substances that seem to exert such control over your mood, actions and physical well-being?

Begin with an understanding of the powerful punch that hormones pack and then devise a smart and clean eating strategy to combat their overriding effect on your daily life. You can do it—with a creative assist from a revolutionary fresh meal planning tool.

Respect These Potent “Messengers”

Hormones are commonly referred to as your body's chemical “messengers” to send signals to your organs and tissues. Hormones begin their journey from yourendocrine glands, which cover a vast biological territory, including your adrenal, pineal, pituitary, thymus and thyroid glands as well as your ovaries and pancreas.

While influential, hormones cannot be judged by volume alone. As the National Institute of Health points out: “It takes only a tiny amount to cause big changes in cells or even your whole body. That is why too much or too little of a certain hormone can be serious.”

Turner helps readers identify “fat-packing” hormonal imbalances, recommends blood tests to be administered by a physician and suggests healthy supplements. But perhaps the most encouraging part of Turner's message? You don't have to convert to an unfamiliar diet originating from another continent. You don't need to hunt down obscure ingredients to create unpalatable concoctions. You don't even have to consume everything from her list, each and every day.

Incorporate many of these foods into your diet some of the time—or even some of these foods much of the time—and Turner says that you can tame wayward hormone levels. Her advice is endorsed by Cancer Treatment Centers of America, where many patients withelevated levels of the hormone estrogen seek both physical and psychological relief from breast and uterine cancer.

Consider a Cornucopia

Consider the ease with which you can achieve optimal hormone balance simply by consuming more:

Apples

Avocados

Blueberries

Broccoli and other green, leafy vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale

While adding these foods, drinks and spices can help you achieve hormonal balance, Cancer Treatment Centers of America also recommends that certain categories can cause hormonal disturbances and should therefore be minimized or eliminated altogether. It urges caution with:

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Create a Diet That's Magical

Like all dietary changes, this one might require some trial and error. Make your healthy segue that much easier with Meal Plan Magic, a fresh meal planning tool that can guide your efforts—from choosing ingredients at the store to creating delicious meals and snacks in your kitchen.

Meal Plan Magic can help you take the practical ideas contained in Turner's book and make them a daily and delicious reality in your daily diet. It's not the kind of magic that requires hocus pocus, but it may feel like magic once you feel its effects on your health and well-being.

The role of diet in hormonal balance is larger than it seems! These articles can help answer any questions you may have:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/health-benefits-of-cooking-at-home2018-02-11T15:39:00-05:002018-05-02T19:25:29-04:00Health Benefits Of Cooking At HomeKaryl Trejo
When life is busy (and when isn't it?) the allure of meals away from home can be strong. You may not even have time to sit down at the table to eat, let alone prepare the food and come up with a fresh meal plan from day to day. More and more studies are coming out, however, that point to the benefits of eating at home. If you are trying to get your body into better shape or lose weight, it's almost imperative that you cook your meals at home, and here's why.

When life is busy (and when isn't it?) the allure of meals away from home can be strong. You may not even have time to sit down at the table to eat, let alone prepare the food and come up with a fresh meal plan from day to day. More and more studies are coming out, however, that point to the benefits of eating at home. If you are trying to get your body into better shape or lose weight, it's almost imperative that you cook your meals at home, and here's why.

Main Ingredient to a Healthier Diet

A study published in November 2014, inPublic Health Nutrition paints a clear picture. When people cooked meals at home, they ingested fewer carbohydrates, less sugar and less fat. This was true even if they weren't concerned with eating healthier. Those that ate meals at home six to seven nights per week also consumed fewer calories overall, leading to a much healthier diet.

One of the major reasons they ate better was that preparing meals at home led to a better balance in their diet. Also, those who ate out also engaged in calorie-stuffing. Eating just because the food tastes good is a major unhealthy eating habit that eating away from home encourages.

Challenges of Eating at Home

Of course, one of the major challenges of eating meals at home is time. Time involved not only to shop for the raw materials, but also to prepare and serve them.

Meal-planning programs such asMeal Plan Magic can make a huge difference for people trying to eat healthier on a consistent basis. It can help you prepare shopping lists, so your time spent in the grocery store and in the kitchen is put to more effective use, making it easier to put together a fresh meal plan at home.

Meal plans can be tailored to the number of people in the household, and also for allergies or specific diet needs. It's an important tool for those trying to eat better and stay away from the pitfalls that can take us off track.

Problems with Eating Out

The signs are everywhere, literally: restaurants far and wide have “gotten the memo” that consumers want to know the calorie count of the foods they eat.

This is why you're more likely than ever to see calorie counts on fast-food menu sign boards and menus in elegant restaurants alike.

But what these restaurants often don't disclose is the salt content. And for people who must watch their salt intake, this omission points to another reason it pays to heed the health benefits of cooking at home—and with a fresh meal plan that forgoes salt in favor of herbs, spices and other seasonings.

The Hazards Posed by Salt

While our bodies need a small amount of salt to function properly, too much salt can increase blood pressure—a condition that can lead to heart disease and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This is why the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that generally healthy adults limit their daily salt intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day, while those with diabetes, high blood pressure, or chronic kidney disease should be even more vigilant and curb their salt intake to 1,500 milligrams.

Many Americans exceed these guidelines, and the CDC pinpoints the source: “Most of the sodium we eat comes from processed foods and foods prepared in restaurants.”

Cook Up a Solution

While passing up the salt shaker is an obvious remedy, health advice from the Mayo Clinic makes it abundantly clear that the only way to truly control your salt intake is tocreate a fresh meal plan at home. Consider its suggestions:

Eat more fresh foods (which is not always an option at restaurants).

Remove salt from recipes (a move you cannot make once a restaurant cook has included it).

Use fresh or dried herbs and spices (it might generate stares if you ask for a jar of marjoram at a restaurant).

Learning how tosubstitute herbs and spices for salt takes time and practice, and you can add to the fun of it all withMeal Plan Magic. This fresh meal planning tool can help you determine your nutrition goals so that you can create delicious meals that will help you rediscover the healthy benefits of cooking at home – and without need for a salt shaker.

The Stats

It’s no secret that we are a fat nation. According to the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Survey, “More than 2 in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or obese,” while the Journal of American Medicine’s survey found that “More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese.”

Besides a lack of commitment to the age old responsibilities of cutting our portions and exercising, some of the biggest things that are making us fat are chemicals. They’re in virtually all processed foods, disguised as flavorings, preservatives and “additives.”

They’re so prevalent that some scientists have taken to calling them obesogens. These are chemicals that are destroying our bodies. Things with names like Bisphenol-A (BPA) and Triflumizole are actually causing our bodies to store fat.

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Three of the absolute best things that you can do for yourself to cut out those nefarious chemicals and get yourself on the right track is to quit eating takeout, ditch the processed, pre-packaged food, and make your own meals at home on the regular. You’ll not only be eating better quality food with a fresh meal plan, but you’ll also be saying "adios" to those additives that are silently wrecking your body.

Many people don’t think that buying healthy food is budget-friendly; however implementing a fresh meal plan is cheaper than you may think—and changing your eating habits will be much less expensive than the future health care costs you’ll have from eating things that aren’t good for you.

It will, however, take some time to get familiar with the logistics of planning, purchasing and preparing your meals according to healthy living guidelines. But most people who have made the switch to eating cleaner foods will absolutely tell you that your health is worth it. All it takes to implement a healthy, fresh meal plan is to do a little bit of research to find the best ways to maximize the benefits of foods you already know you love and to add some new things into the mix.

If learning the benefits of cooking at home got you hyped up, just wait until you read these articles:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/meal-planning-basics-5-tools-to-get-started-right2018-02-11T15:35:00-05:002018-04-28T00:32:09-04:00Meal Planning Basics: 5 Tools To Get Started RightKaryl Trejo
It's no secret: eating at home is much healthier and more beneficial, especially if you are not only eating, but eating with a goal in mind. Whether your goal is to build muscle or to lose fat, either is a great reason to start cooking at home whenever possible.

It's no secret: eating at home ismuch healthierand more beneficial, especially if you are not only eating, but eating with a goal in mind. Whether your goal is to build muscle or to lose fat, either is a great reason to start cooking at home whenever possible.

Eating in takes a lot of preparation and time that a lot of us just don't have. Cooking at home is always going to involve effort, but when you take the time to meal plan, it turns a normally Herculean effort in to something much more manageable.

Rustle Up Your Recipes

Of course, good meal planning always starts with the foundation: your recipes. If you are cooking at home already, you surely have a good rotation of healthy favorites already. It may take some time to get them all together, but spending that time up front can make things much easier from that point on.

When it comes to meal planning, there is one indispensable tool that you must have in your arsenal, and that isMeal Plan Magic. It's the one tool that makes all your others more efficient and effective. Through creating shopping lists, tracking your intake and adjusting food intake levels, it can help you automate your cooking at home from the ground up. If you're looking to shed fat or build muscle, be sure topick up a meal planning templateto hit the ground running and always know which foods to eat when.

Get Ahead

If you are currently planning only a couple of days ahead with your meals, you know the stress it can induce when you realize you are out of something you need for dinner tonight. Running to the grocery store every couple days can completely undermine what you are trying to do with your meal planning.

Once you've got your plan of attack for the week, you need to start getting together your meal components. Doing it ahead of time is easy when you utilize specially-mademeal prep containers.

Of course most amateur chefs worth their salt are going to have a full complement of measuring cups, but when you are meal-planning with health goals in mind, akitchen scaleis a good tool to have as well.

A good digital scale allows you to quickly and easily pinpoint the exact amount of an ingredient you need to add when a recipe calls for it by weight. A kitchen scale especially should include a tare feature, to allow for the bowl or plate the ingredient is in so you don't have to guess at how much it weighs.

Another advantage to a digital scale is the ability to quickly convert measurements. From pounds to ounces to grams, not having to convert weights on the fly is going to save you prep time.

Cookware Planning

Not only is it important that you are planning ahead with your ingredients when cooking at home, but it's also important to plan ahead with your cookware. Have you ever gone to prepare a meal, only to find out that the bowl or pan you need is dirty from the day before?

Getting yourself a complete set ofgreat cookwareis important, but so is thinking ahead to when you will need it again. If you do all your meal planning and prepping one night of the week, you may find yourself burning a lot of time doing dishes, too. If you are going to be prepping meals on the fly during the week, however, it's a good idea to get all your needed tools out the morning before.

Take it Slow

There's really no substitute for a great slow cooker. No matter what meals you are preparing, acrock potis a very useful tool, allowing you to throw ingredients in ahead of time for a meal you won't be eating for four to eight hours.

When selecting the right one for what you need, consider the capacity, cook time, and temperature range that each unit offers. If you are only cooking for two, there's no need for a huge capacity. If you want great flexibility with cook times, look for an option with digital controls that let you totally customize your cooking.

Just like any project, meal planning becomes much simpler when you have the right tools at your disposal. When cooking at home with a system like Meal Plan Magic, you can concentrate on eating right and meeting your goals without all the other hassle.

Ready to dive in deeper and pick up more tips and tricks for successful meal prep?

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/five-food-prep-tips-for-beginners2018-02-11T15:28:00-05:002018-05-02T19:20:53-04:00Five Food Prep Tips For BeginnersKaryl Trejo
It's a distress call heard in homes across America, most urgently around the dinner hour, and usually within moments of flinging open the refrigerator door and assessing the paltry contents inside.

It's a distress call heard in homes across America, most urgently around the dinner hour, and usually within moments of flinging open the refrigerator door and assessing the paltry contents inside.

This distress call might be emanating from your spouse or children; it might even be coming from you.

Like all distress calls, this one signals a situational crisis that can be answered and addressed — in this case, with five simple food prep tips.

That's right: simple. You might be a novice to the kitchen and even feel constrained by a limited range of recipes. That's okay. These simple tips — along with a creative boost from a revolutionary freshmeal planning tool — will help bolster your kitchen confidence and silence those distress calls once and for all.

Tip 1: Food Prep Doesn't Mean Only Cooking

Let yourself off the hook right from the start. Food prep for a healthy eating plan doesn't have to mean preparing three dinners ahead of time (although wouldn't that be nice to see upon opening the refrigerator door after a long day at work?). As anyone who spends even nominal time in the kitchen knows, cooking requires a great deal of cutting and chopping. Andwashing vegetables and fruits doesn't trail far behind. When you define “food prep” your way, the skills you master will last you a lifetime.

Tip 2: Any Time Invested Now Will Save You Time Later

If this sounds like another way of saying, “Start small,” you're on the right track. Even if you carve out, say, two hours of free time one week (see next tip), you might not be able to block out this kind of food prep time on a weekly basis. Shift your thinking right now in a small but monumental way: Regard your food prep time—no matter how limited it might be—as an investment you'll value later.

Already, you're in a great position to commingle these first two tips. Say that you want to slow-cook a marinara sauce for later in the week, but the thought of assembling the myriad ingredients is causing you to procrastinate. Chop the fresh basil, onions and sweet peppers and store them in the fridge. Then line up the assorted spices and canned, pureed and crushed tomatoes on the counter the night before. Now all you'll have to do is put all of these ingredients in your slow cooker when you're ready—effectively taking the heat off you.

Tip 3: Block Out Time (Or Actively Look For Time) For Food Prep

Time can be a fleeting commodity, so you have to grab it when you can for food prep. It might be on a leisurely Sunday afternoon. It might be on a Friday or Saturday night, while you're pacing the floors anyway, awaiting the return of your youngsters. It might even be during your weekly “phone visits” with out-of-town friends or family members. (Stirring a pot with a wooden spoon is quieter than you might think—and a rubber spatula is even better.) Expect to fall into a pattern faster than you think because prepping food for a healthy eating plan pays huge dividends—and maybe even a few compliments to the chef.

Tip 4: Choose One Major Dish That Would Make The Biggest Splash In Your Week

Admittedly, this is the ideal. (After all, tip No. 1 is still a guiding food prep principle.) But one major dish can go a long way. Unless you have a healthy eating plan idea you're eager to implement, think in terms of baking a roaster chicken, turkey tenderloins or salmon filets—a substantial dish with leftovers you can chop up for other meals and snacks throughout the week.

Tip 5: Capitalize On Oven/Stove Time

You'll do more than conserve gas and electric energy when you piggyback on oven and stove time; you'll save your own energy later in the week, too. For example, if you're roasting a chicken, consider baking a vegetable medleyalongside it. And if you're heating up your kitchen by steaming some crab legs on the stove, you might as well boil some eggs to chop up later for a salad. Don't be too hard on yourself if you're hard-pressed for ideas.

You can still make good use of the time that chicken takes to reach its best, most succulent state by cutting up celery sticks for snacks, tossing together your own, inventive trail mix, or surprising your loved ones with some homemade muffins in the morning.

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Reach For A Magical Companion

Give yourself time to adapt to the mind-set of a healthy eating plan “food prepper,” remembering that the only “rules” are those you set for yourself. Your segue will be infinitely simpler—and more fun—withMeal Plan Magic.

If you're just starting out on meal prepping, these helpful articles can steer you in the right direction:

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https://www.mealplanmagic.com/blogs/meal-planning/six-sources-of-healthy-fats-and-why-it-matters2018-02-11T15:24:00-05:002018-04-28T00:18:33-04:00Six Sources Of Healthy Fats (And Why It Matters)Karyl Trejo
The word alone carries an unsavory connotation: f-a-t. We trim it from meat, strain it from the puddle surrounding an otherwise nutritious roaster chicken, and never, ever want to think of ourselves as (let alone be told that we are) fat. Even the lowercase form of the word sounds like a screamer, as in F-A-T.

The word alone carries an unsavory connotation: f-a-t. We trim it from meat, strain it from the puddle surrounding an otherwise nutritious roaster chicken, and never, ever want to think of ourselves as (let alone be told that we are) fat. Even the lowercase form of the word sounds like a screamer, as in F-A-T.

This helps explain the skepticism that often greets the news that some fats are actually good for you. Really. Some foods—and six foods or food products in particular—teem with the monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega-3 fats that your body needs.

And “need” is no overstatement, especially when you consider that fat serves as a vital source of energy for your body. The health experts at Harvard University note that including fat in your daily diet also matters because it “helps you absorb some vitamins and minerals. Fat is neededto build cell membranes, the vital exterior of each cell and the sheaths surrounding nerves. It is essential for blood clotting, muscle movement and inflammation.”

If you're trying to develop healthy weight loss meal plans, learning the difference between unhealthy, good and truly healthy fats is simpler than you might think. When you face the facts about fat, you might even be able to change your thinking and regard the consumption of healthy fats as a capital idea.

Unhealthy Fats

Health experts continue to debate which is worse: trans or saturated fat. The U.S. Department of Agriculturedifferentiates the two by noting that "trans fat is created when manufacturers turn liquid oils into more solid fats, like shortening and margarine. Saturated fat occurs naturally in nearly all fatty foods, but mostly in meats, dairy products, and tropical oils, like palm kernel and coconut.”

Reading between the lines, trans fats are usually easier to avoid, especially because saturated fats exist in many popular foods. And trans fats increase only “bad” cholesterol levels while saturated fats raise both “good” and “bad” levels. The bottom line? Both artery-clogging fats are worth avoiding.

Good Fats

Good fats come down to two different types: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Good sources of monounsaturated fats include peanut oil, olive oil, canola oil, avocados and most types of nuts. Good sources of polyunsaturated fats include corn oil, sunflower oil and safflower oil. These oils are easy to distinguish from their unhealthy counterparts because they remain in a liquid form at room temperature, not solid. Choosing oils carefully is important not only in the healthy stir fry dinners your prepare at home but also in the bottled salad dressings you purchase at the store.

The Best, Healthiest Fats

Omega-3 fats have done their part to give “fat” a respectable if not stellar name. Many studies have shown that people whose diet is rich in omega-3 fats can stem the risk of heart disease and stroke. This may be “old news,” but it remains compelling enough to entice plenty of health-conscious people and those creating weight loss meal plans to reel in the best source of omega-3 fats: fatty fish, especially salmon, sardines and trout. (For people who would rather leave fish off the hook, there are always fish oil pills.)

Add Six Healthy Fats To Your Menu

Now that's it's easier to distinguish one type of fat from another, it also should be simpler to identify six sources of healthy fats that should be included in your weight loss meal plans:

Fish, about two 6-ounce portions a week. If you can't muster a taste for those top three choices, rest assured that virtually all types of fish—including swordfish, flounder, halibut and tuna—also teem with healthy fat.

Extra-virgin olive oil, both instovetop cooking and drizzled over vegetable and pasta dishes.

Seeds of all types,which also supply calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and protein. Though high in calories, a small amount of flaxseed, hemp seeds and/or chia seeds candeliver a large amount of omega-3 fats.

Reach for Meal Plan Magic

While you incorporate these healthy fats in your weight loss meal plans, don't forget to add a little spice to your efforts withMeal Plan Magic. This fresh meal planning tool can help you choose among these six healthy fats at the grocery store and then guide you as you create weight loss meal plans to help you.

Eager to learn more about the delicious, healthy foods (and their benefits!) that you can enjoy while meal prepping?